How Deep Is Your Love
by Genevieve Kelly
Summary: After all of Killian's efforts to prove his love, he finally succeeds in winning Emma's heart when she confesses to him she's afraid to lose him like she's lost the other men she's loved. However, the Snow Queen won't allow Killian to get in the way of her plans for the Savior, so she teaches Emma and her pirate a lesson as she tried to do with Elsa. Set at the end of Rocky Road.
1. Chapter 1

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter One

As Emma walked out of Granny's Diner in somewhat of a hurry later that night after their first confrontation against the Snow Queen, she quickly glanced to her right and found Hook having a drink from his flask while he was sitting alone at the same table from when they had returned from the past where they had kissed again since their one passionate kiss they had shared back in Neverland. Only this time, the kisses they shared were because they wanted to kiss, as Emma finally realized she cared for Killian more than she could ever admit before.

Killian had risked everything to go after her when she fell through Zelena's time portal to protect her and in doing so, he helped her see that Storybrooke was her home after all, despite her effort to fight against who she was while she continued to push him away. Then he admitted he had traded his ship, his only home for the last three hundred years and the one thing that meant more to him than anything else in the world until he met Emma Swan, in order to get back to her when he suddenly appeared in New York.

His confession had been a shock as she realized that no one has ever done anything so selfless and amazing for her. Yet earlier this afternoon, Killian risked his life needlessly while looking for danger in attempt to try to protect Emma again, this time from the Snow Queen and nearly got himself killed in the process.

 _While she kept on walking past him, it was clear Emma was still angry with him, but Hook made a gesture for her to join him as he called out to her saying, "Swan! Don't make a man drink alone."_

 _Still annoyed, Emma replied coldly, "Not in the mood for a drink or a man."_

 _"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you today," he answered as she walked out into the middle of the street while he swiftly chased after her, then finally used his hook to grab hold of the crook of her elbow to turn her around so that she was facing him. "All right, I know you feel like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders. But at some point, even though we're quite different, you've got to trust me."_

 _"That's what you think this is about?" she asked while she stared at him in surprise. "That I don't trust you?"_

 _Hook looked back at her feeling slightly confused as he asked, "Is that not what it's about?"_

 _The blonde woman responded firmly, "Of course I trust you."_

 _"Then why do you keep pulling away from me?" he asked again in frustration upon raising his voice in anger._

 _"Because everyone I've ever been with is dead," Emma cried out with fear, his eyes softening upon hearing her confession as she continued to admit how she felt as though she was desperate to get the hard truth she had been hiding from him all this time out into the open. "Neal and Graham. Even Walsh. I lost everyone. I... I can't lose you, too."_

 _Tears came to her eyes as Killian kept his gaze on her, his expression being one of comfort while he replied brazenly, "Well, love, you don't have to worry about me. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's surviving."_

 _Emma's own face softened while he continued to look into her eyes for a few moments and she into his before Killian suddenly pulled Emma firmly against him and began to kiss her passionately. This time, just like when they had kissed days ago, her instinct to push him away never came as she continued to kiss him back, not wanting this moment between them to end._

Meanwhile, from within a large ice cave deep within the woods surrounding the small town of Storybrooke, the Snow Queen stood in front of a priceless ancient mirror while her eyes became cold as she watched Emma and the dark and handsome man with only one hand and a hook in place of the other, whom she had tried to kill earlier that afternoon, kiss after the Savior had admitted her fear of losing him.

Ingrid had been living in Storybrooke for a few years now and of course has seen them around together, but the pirate always appeared to be chasing the blonde woman around. She knew that they were friends, but the Snow Queen didn't realize Emma reciprocated Hook's feelings that he obviously felt for her until now. It made her angry as she knew it was going to be harder for her to fulfill her plans for the Savior, and Elsa too, so long as he was around to remind Emma of her true strength.

When she could no longer continue to watch the love between them, Ingrid left the comforts of her cave and strolled out into woods under the cloak of night for a walk in order to think of her next course of action. However, it wasn't long before she was disturbed when she came upon Gold, the owner of the pawnshop where she first learned about the town she arrived in upon leaving her own world without revealing her true identity to the small man she knew to be the Dark One.

They talked of the question as to whether or not the Savior remembered who the Snow Queen was and then Rumpelstiltskin offered his services so that she would be able to succeed in her plans. However, Ingrid immediately dismissed him until she mentioned that she just might come to him in the future, then he recommended that she find shelter, not knowing she had already done so.

When Gold believed their conversation had ended, he started to walk away until the woman called out to him as she stated, "Wait! Perhaps you could answer me one question that wouldn't require me to make any kind of deal."

"It certainly never hurts to ask," Mr. Gold answered coolly as he smiled. "But of course it depends on the question, dearie. What would you like to know?"

"What is it that you know about the pirate in love with Emma?" Ingrid continued, causing him to face her again in interest.

Rumple sneered and then responded, "I probably know more about him than anyone else in this entire town. And I certainly should, seeing as Hook's been my greatest enemy for centuries. Why do you ask?"

The Snow Queen cautiously moved closer to the other villain standing before her as she replied, "Earlier this afternoon I was attempting to teach a lesson to Elsa until I was interrupted when Emma and her father appeared to rescue Captain Hook. And then tonight, I watched as they kissed after she admitted she was afraid to lose him. Just how deep is their love?"

"The pirate is quite clear as to how he feels about Miss. Swan," he answered snidely. "I do find it quite nauseating myself. He acts as though he's a lovesick puppy dog. As for the Savior, she's taken quite a bit longer to make her feelings for him known, although ever since he has arrived here in Storybrooke and has begun to change his ways, it's been clear to me that she does indeed have feelings for him as well. However, I believe her walls she has put up around her heart has made it difficult for her to accept her feelings for him."

"Perhaps, but it appears he's found a way to begin in knocking them down," Ingrid responded coldly. "I can't have that happen. In order for me to fulfill my plans for Emma, I need to first convince her that all those she loves will only hurt her in the end, especially him. I need him out of the way. Tell me what you know. And I may be able to find a way to rid us both of this enemy."


	2. Chapter 2

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Two

"I think it's probably… time that I said… good night," Emma said hesitantly when she pulled back and gently pushed Killian away as he continued to try to kiss her. "I don't…"

"What's wrong, love?" he asked after he finally relented and looked into her eyes with a smug smile on his face. "Are you afraid? Or is it that you're afraid you'll be unable to continue to resist my charm if you kiss me for much longer?"

She chuckled and turned away from him, then answered, "I know you think that you're all that, but you're really not. I can resist your charm just fine. I have so far."

Killian leaned forward and kissed her gently on her forehead while he closed his eyes like she did, then he turned to walk toward the docks until he looked back at her as he responded, "If you really believe that's resisting, then I can't wait to see just how wonderful you are when you allow me in all the way. Good night, Swan. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night," she whispered after he walked away, leaving her to walk back inside Granny's alone.

"There you are," Mary Margaret called out in relief as Emma re-entered and found her parents with her baby brother in her father's arms, and Elsa had all come down from their loft apartment, having forgotten the reason why she left the diner in the first place. "We were hoping you'd be coming back soon. Are you alright?"

When her mother finished asking her daughter if she was okay, it was then that Emma swiftly broke from her thoughts as she stared between her parents with confusion as she asked, "What did you say? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."

David looked at her with concern as he questioned again, "Are you alright? You seem… distracted. Worried. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," the Savior replied as she reached up to run her fingers along her lips, still feeling the lingering sensation of Hook's kisses, then started to walk past them until she paused and turned back to look at them. "Okay, not really. I am worried, but it isn't just the Snow Queen."

"Is this about Hook?" her father asked curtly. "You were pretty angry with him earlier. Not that I blame you. What he did was rash and thoughtless."

Emma looked at him and answered sternly, "He did what he did because he only wanted to protect me. That, and he wanted to help Elsa too."

The Queen of Arendelle spoke up quickly saying, "For which I am very grateful. I only wish his efforts didn't place him in harm's way. But at least we were finally able to discover who it is we are up against."

"Elsa's right," Mary Margaret responded in agreement. "We would all still be fighting blindly if it wasn't for Hook's irrational decision to try to go after our latest villain on his own, or… with Elsa too."

"No… it isn't about that," Emma replied as she looked away in frustration. "I mean it is, but it isn't. Not anymore it isn't. We talked and I understand now why he did it."

When she took a moment to recognize the look in her daughter's eyes as well as her earlier motions of placing her fingers to her lips, Snow finally understood as she smiled giddily and asked, "He kissed you again, didn't he?"

David glared between the women in his life as he retorted with anger, "He did what?"

"Are you really going to freak out every time Mom mentions something about Hook kissing me?" Emma stated brusquely when she glared back at her father. "Yes, he kissed me. But there was more to it than that. The way he looked at me… looked into my eyes like he was so confident we are meant to be together and I couldn't deny I really believed him for a moment. He almost died today and I told him I couldn't lose him like I lost Neal, Graham, or even Walsh, yet Killian reassured me that he's a survivor. However, all of that's not the only thing worrying me right now, nor is the fact that we've only just met this Snow Queen and she seems to know me and Elsa better than we even know. There's something else."

"You can tell us, honey," Mary Margaret said after she swiftly smacked her husband before he could interrupt again. "Is this about what happens next, between you and Hook I mean?"

The Savior sighed and then she finally answered, "I don't know what happens next. But I know… or I think I know that I want something to happen next. I'm just not sure if anything can. Hook… Killian isn't the same, selfish man he was when he first came here. And he's not like the others. There's something I haven't told you yet. Mom, I told you we shared our first kiss since Neverland the other night after we got back. But it wasn't just because I was thankful he helped me get back home to you guys. While we were trapped in your time, he made me realize how much I really needed you, all of you. I finally understood and appreciated that Storybrooke was my home. I never would have been able to learn any of that if it wasn't for him."

Elsa spoke up again saying, "That's wonderful, Emma."

"I know," she responded somberly as she looked over at her new friend and then between the others within the room. "He told me something else too. We were all so caught with ourselves and everything that's going on right now, we never even noticed, but the Jolly Roger is no longer docked in the harbor."

"Are you saying Hook never found his ship?" Charming asked with genuine concern, despite his apprehension toward the pirate's feelings for his daughter. "He was looking for it during the missing year, but with Zelena and…"

Emma suddenly replied in interruption, "Actually he did find it. He was able to get to me and Henry in New York because of it, but not because he steered it through a portal and docked it in the harbor before coming to find us. It's because Killian traded the Jolly Roger to someone for a magic bean. He gave the only home he's ever known for centuries in order to save us all. If he hadn't, we'd all still be trapped where we were before we found ourselves back here again, with no memories and in the mercy of the Wicked Witch of the West."

David looked at his daughter with surprise and then turned to Mary Margaret while Elsa answered, "It clear that Hook cares about you very much, Emma. I saw it this afternoon the more we spoke, but even more so now."

"But how can I really allow myself to let him in with everything else that going on right now?" the Savior asked worryingly. "This ice witch is dangerous and she nearly killed him earlier. Not to mention that I am the Savior and it's my job to make sure that everyone remains safe too so long as we're fighting against her. And then there's Henry and…"

"I think Henry would be thrilled to know that his mom is moving on from all the pain and loss she's felt in her past and allowing herself to finally be happy," Snow responded firmly. "He may still be mourning the loss of his father, but he knows you can't stay single for the rest of your life and surely he would want you to be happy as much as we do. Talk to him and tell him the truth. And then ask Hook out on a date, a real date. Let him know that you're willing to try to take the first step with him. Your father may not like this idea, but I think it's wonderful. After all Killian's done for you and for us, the least we can do is accept that he's a part of our lives and that he's someone special to you, whether something more comes between the two of you or not."

Emma looked at her mother with sadness in her eyes as she asked, "What if I do let him into my heart and something more does come between us, but then he decides that I'm not worth the pain and aggravation any longer after all the trouble that comes with me being who I am, with my walls and the burdens of me being the Savior of an entire town filled with magic and power hungry villains. Especially with… Rumpelstiltskin. I know how much pain he's still suffering because of that bastard, changed or not."

Mary Margaret moved to stand directly in front of her daughter as she continued gently, "Do you remember what it was he told you in Neverland, inside Echo Cave upon revealing his darkest secret?"

 _"But it was just a kiss," Emma stated as she stared at the pirate in frustration. "How's that your darkest secret?"_

 _"It's what the kiss exposed," Killian replied sadly. "My secret is, I never thought I'd be capable of letting go of my first love... of my Milah... to believe that I could find someone else that is, until I met you."_

Emma broke away from the memory that flooded her mind and stared back at Mary Margaret as she answered, "Yeah I do. He was trying to tell me he had found love again, and he's never given up trying to prove it since."

Snow smiled and then responded, "Exactly. And if that's really true, do you honestly believe that he would have sacrificed the one thing that meant more to him in three hundred years if there was any chance he was going to leave you? After everything you two have been through together, I don't believe he's going anywhere. Open your heart to the possibility of love, Emma. No matter the heartache I suffered since your father entered my life because of the Evil Queen, I never would have given up the love we share for anything."

"I agree with your mother," David added as he pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her, then turned back to Emma. "At least about our love and the fact I would never give it up for anything in the world. Hook I'm not so sure about. If you do decide to listen to your mother and he does break your heart, I'll kill him."

"I doubt that'll be necessary," the Savior replied humorously after she snickered at her father's threat against the man she couldn't deny she was beginning to care about as more than just the friend he had become while they were in Neverland. "I'd kill Hook myself before you would have the chance, that is if the Snow Queen doesn't take care of him first. In fact, I may just decide to kill him beforehand if he ever decides to go looking for danger again in order to try to protect me."

Elsa quickly stood up for Hook stated, "That was partly my fault. I fought with him about going to the sheriff's station like where you told us to go. I wanted to find this woman even more than he did in hope that I would be able to discover how she has magic like mine."

David scoffed as he answered, "Don't worry about it. He didn't need you to convince him to help you."

"Dad's right," Emma responded. "I don't doubt that he already decided to go against my wishes seconds after I expressed them. Now, if you don't mind I'm going to head to bed, or at least I'm going to try to get some sleep. I have a lot to think about. Thank you for the advice, Mom. You may be right."

"I hope I am," Mary Margaret replied to herself as she watched Emma walk up the stairs toward their loft they all shared and then looked down at her son within her arms. "I think that your sister's finally beginning to come around to letting love back into her life. Who would have thought that Captain Hook would have been the man to help her do it?"


	3. Chapter 3

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Three

When Regina left her office that evening after Robin had left her to care for the woman who had stolen his heart long ago until she died as she had promised him she would, she and her son walked through town and headed to Granny's before they headed home for the evening. The mayor wasn't much in the mood for company, knowing that the Charmings and Storybrooke's latest refugee from wherever she was from would all be there too, but she knew that Henry wanted to make sure his other family were all okay after their first confrontation against this Snow Queen. She had yet to meet the villain herself, but because she, Henry, and Robin all got a text from either Emma or Mary Margaret, at least they knew who was responsible for what happened to Marian now.

Mary Margaret greeted them as they entered saying, "Henry, Regina. We're glad you're here. And you're just in time. We ordered a round of cocoas with cinnamon before we head up to bed. How are you doing?"

Henry spoke up for his adopted mom as he responded, "We're okay. We weren't the ones who confronted a Snow Queen earlier. Where's Mom?

"She already went up to bed," David replied. "She turned in early because she was tired and she had a lot on her mind tonight. What about Robin and Marian? How are they holding up?"

"For now, Marian's not in any danger of freezing over completely," Regina answered coldly, then looked away from everyone as she moved to have a seat in her own booth away from the others.

Henry looked at her worryingly and then continued for her, "And Robin's holding up about as well as you would expect. He's keeping up a brave face, for Roland and for Mom."

When the thirteen year old took a seat across from Regina, Mary Margaret handed her son over to her husband and stood up, then sat down again beside the Mayor and her friend, who turned her head to glare at her and said in frustration, "If you've come over to try to tell me everything's going to work out okay, save your breath. I'm not in the mood. You can't possibly know things will work out and even if we do save Marian and defeat this ice witch, or whatever she is, Robin has chosen to remain with his wife. And why wouldn't he?"

"I'm so sorry, Regina," Snow responded sadly.

"I'm sorry," the former Evil Queen replied more calmly upon looking at Henry again and seeing the pleas in his eyes for her to try to remain civil. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. So, tell us what's going on. Who is this woman?"

Elsa sat down beside Henry, then she answered, "We aren't really sure who this woman is. But she appeared to know me very well, as well as my sister and Emma. I don't understand how that's possible. As this Snow Queen has magic like mine, she must be from Arendelle like me and Anna, while Emma is from right here."

The teenager quickly corrected her as he stated, "The Enchanted Forest actually. My moms and everyone else are all from the Enchanted Forest. That's why most of us have magic too. I'm the only one who's from here."

"But Elsa is right," David continued for the true Queen of Arendelle. "All we really know is that she's powerful and dangerous. I didn't want to admit this in front of Emma, but I don't like how this woman seemed to know her either. She claimed she knew our daughter by her reputation as the Savior, but I don't buy it any more than Emma did."

"What about Elsa's magic?" Regina questioned, then turned to look over at her. "Your powers are identical, aren't they?"

Elsa shrugged nervously and used her magic to form a snowflake within the palm of her hand to make sure she could make it work again as she responded, "It appears so, but she somehow managed to neutralize my magic when she surprised Hook and I. I was of no help to him when she nearly killed him, or to Emma and her father. What if she does so again the next time we confront her?"

As Granny walked over to the booths and carefully began to set down several mugs cocoa in front of each one of the heroes, Mary Margaret spoke again saying, "Hopefully the next time we face her won't be because she surprises us first. I hate to admit it, but that's usually how all of our first battles against evil start."

"I agree with Mary Margaret," the Mayor replied sternly. "But we've been all right so far."

"Are you actually giving us a hope speech for once?" the Princess asked mockingly.

Regina glared at her stepdaughter as she answered, "Not on your life. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to head home and try to get some sleep myself. I've never been much for hot cocoa with cinnamon."

She stood up again, as did Mary Margaret so she could let the Mayor out of their booth and then Regina continued, "Good night."

"Mom, wait!" Henry suddenly called out as he too stepped out and walked over to stand beside his adopted mother while carrying the cup Granny handed to him. I'm coming with you tonight."

"Are you sure?" Regina asked in surprise. "I mean, don't you want to go up and check on your other mother?"

The thirteen year old looked between his grandparents, then turned back to his second mother and responded, "Grandpa said Mom wanted some time alone to think about what's troubling her. But she's not the only one who's troubled right now. I would like to stay with you tonight, if you don't mind? Besides, it's a bit too cramped with Elsa staying with us now too. No offense, Elsa."

Elsa shook her head as Regina smiled and gently caressed her son's cheek, then she replied, "I think I'd like that. Thank you, Henry."

"It looks like Neal's finally fallen asleep," Mary Margaret said when Regina and Henry left as she looked down at the baby once again in her arms after she took him back from her husband. "I'll tell you, I'm not far behind. I just hope tomorrow's nothing like today. I don't want to hear that either of you are placed in danger again unless we're prepared for an attack."

"Don't worry, Mary Margaret," David answered confidently for both of the women's sakes. "We're going to find out who she is and then figure out how to defeat her like the rest of the villains we've beaten. I trust our daughter and Elsa to be able to find their strength. Emma always has and I'm willing to bet that Elsa has too, with or without Anna's help. We always find a way."

Elsa looked at them as she asked, "You really believe that, don't you?"

Mary Margaret smiled as she responded, "If you're with us long enough, you'll see that there's nothing we can't do so long as we work together."

"That includes finding Anna, just as we promised we would," David replied.

"I hope so," the Queen of Arendelle answered quietly. "I do hope so."


	4. Chapter 4

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Four

The next morning, David and Mary Margaret awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and French toast coming from the kitchen space within the center of their apartment. The loving couple sat up and found that it was Emma who was preparing breakfast, then worked quickly to get themselves dressed while their daughter was busy over the stove. Elsa walked down from the loft above them moments before they walked in to find out what was making the wonderful smell that pulled her from her dreams.

"What is that wonderful smell?" the Queen from Arendelle asked as the other blonde woman making the meal finished flipping the last piece of bread on the skillet, then moved to begin pouring everyone a fresh cup of coffee. "I've never smelled anything like it."

"We call it French toast," Emma replied and then handed their guest the first plate that included scrambled eggs as well. "There isn't much to it really, at least not how I make it, but it's always been one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast. I hope you like cinnamon. I mixed some into the batter."

Elsa smiled as she took the plate offered to her graciously and responded, "You all really love cinnamon. I enjoy it too. I've never had it in hot chocolate before. Anna would certainly love it too."

Mary Margaret looked between her daughter and the amount of food she had made for them and then said, "You've made more than enough for everyone. Are you expecting Hook to join us?"

"Henry actually," the Savior answered while she handed her parents a plate too. "I invited him and Regina both. As you would expect, she didn't want to come. But I told Henry there was something I wanted to talk to him about this morning before we go about whatever it is we're going to be doing today, before I see Killian."

"Are you going to talk to him about wanting to begin a relationship with Killian?" her mother asked excitedly, though she knew that she was going to say yes from the stern look on Emma's face. "I knew it."

Emma rolled her eyes as she sighed and then replied, "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I still have to talk to Henry and if he's not comfortable with me asking Killian out on a date, then I'm not going to."

David continued eating while he responded crossly, "I just hope Henry doesn't like the idea."

"I appreciate your support, Dad," his daughter answered cynically.

"You wouldn't really give up the chance on finding love if your boy doesn't wish for you to date Hook, would you?" Elsa asked after she took a sip of her coffee while she looked over at her newfound friend.

Emma retorted, "Like I told you last night, I don't know what I feel for Hook. But it's certainly not love. I hardly know him. It's only going to be a date to see what happens. And if Henry doesn't want me to start dating him, then I won't. The last thing I want is for him to think that I'm trying to replace his father, even if Neal and I were never going to get back together. So eat up and then if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could all head out so we can talk privately. Go down to Granny's or the station, or…"

She was interrupted when she received a text from Henry asking her if she could meet him over in the forest as he told Regina he would deliver a message to Robin for her before he joined them at their loft, then Emma stated, "It looks like I'm heading off to meet Henry in the woods at Robin's camp. Now I wish I made more food."

"While you're getting Henry's breakfast ready for him, I'll call in an order to Granny for him and the rest of his men," Mary Margaret quickly replied and then walked over to the phone while David went to pick up their son from his crib when he woke up as well.

"Don't worry, Emma," Elsa spoke again quietly while her parents were both distracted. "I may have only know everyone here a few days, but I have a feeling your son's going to be just fine with the idea of you and Hook. And Hook may be a pirate, but I can tell that he'll never intentionally hurt you. He cares about you far too much. The two of you make a good match."

Emma left the loft and went to meet up with Henry and Robin. After she gave them the food from the diner, and talked with the men while her teenager took time to eat the food she had made for him, she and Henry drove back into town in her yellow bug to meet Hook at Granny's where she figured he'd be when they didn't find him down at the harbor even though his ship was no longer there. She talked to him about asking Hook out on a date and though he wasn't sure what to think about his mom getting into a relationship with Captain Hook either, he assured her that if it was what she wanted, he wouldn't stand in her way.

 _When they pulled up outside of the diner and stepped out of her car while she walked around to stand with her son, Emma froze_ _as she stared at the door and asked nervously, "You sure you're okay with this?"_

 _Henry thought for a moment and then before he pushed his mother towards the diner, he responded, "No, but I want you to be happy."_

 _"The Snow Queen turn up?" Killian asked worryingly while he turned around upon hearing the sound of the door as Emma entered inside and closed it behind her, interrupting the game of darts he was playing by himself. "Did I miss the search party?"_

 _"Oh, n-nothing to miss," she answered nervously while she walked toward him as he pulled one of his darts out from the board he shot it at, then walked toward her as well. "There's no sign of that ice witch yet."_

 _His eyes softened in attempt to reassure her as he replied, "That's all right, Swan. You'll find her."_

 _Emma quickly continued, "Yeah, I know. Uh, that's not why I'm here."_

 _"Then why are you here?" Hook asked again with confusion while he looked at her curiously._

 _"Well… I thought about what you said last night about being a survivor, and you're right," she responded finally._

 _Killian glanced at her before he turned back to the dart board while he prepared to shoot another dart as he answered, "It's like I said, love, you don't have to worry about me."_

 _In order to finally get out what she was so nervous to ask him, Emma immediately replied, "Good, 'cause I'm here to ask you out."_

 _"To dinner or something," she swiftly added as Hook suddenly threw a dart, but because he was shocked and a bit flustered by the unexpected reason for her coming to see him, he threw wide, causing the dart to hit the wall instead of the board in front of him._

 _"Shouldn't I be the one asking you out?" he asked coyly and then turned back around to face her once again._

 _Emma chortled, then she replied, "Should have known you'd be old-fashioned, given your age... What are you, like three hundred?"_

 _Hook kept his eyes on hers while he sauntered toward her and responded boldly, "Curses and Neverland may have given me experience. But as you can see, I've retained my youthful glow."_

 _"I happily accept on one condition…" Killian continued with a bow after she scoffed, but with an amused look on her face. "You let me plan the evening."_

 _"I know how to plan a date," she stated with exasperation, staring at him as if she was offended by his accusation._

 _He looked at her skeptically while he answered, "You know how to chase a monster. I know how to plan an evening out."_

 _The Savior blushed as she looked away for a moment and then turned back to him while she modestly replied, "Well, I don't pillage and plunder on the first date, just so you know."_

 _"Well, that's because you haven't been out with me yet," Hook responded as his facial expression turned to one of seduction, and his voice became lower and even more flirty than before."_

 _"See you tonight," he added while he smiled at her after she chuckled, then she smiled back at him before she finally turned around and left the diner again, leaving him alone once more._

When she was gone, Killian walked back over to the dart board to collect the rest of the darts, not forgetting to pick up the one that had fallen on the floor when he missed his shot, then he laid them down on the bar and nodded at Granny as if to say goodbye before finally leaving himself.

The first thing he did since leaving the diner, Killian started walking down the street toward one of the shops in town in hope of finding clothing more suitable to the twenty-first century so that he wouldn't have to continue wearing his long black duster and clothes that he's been wearing for the last three hundred years on his first date with the woman who had immediately stolen his heart since the moment they met within the Enchanted Forest and even more so in Neverland after their shared kiss.

However, as he passed an alleyway, he suddenly stopped upon hearing Leroy call out to him and rushed towards the dwarf when Hook saw that both of the smaller man's arms were frozen to one of the buildings' walls after he had been taken by surprise by the Snow Queen only seconds ago.

While he started to chip away at the ice using his Hook to try to break Grumpy free, the pirate asked curtly, "What the bloody hell happened?"

The dwarf answered angrily, "What the hell do you think happened? The real ice witch did this to me. She attacked me from out of nowhere and she didn't exactly say why. Forgive me for not thinking to ask her. Just cut me loose, will ya?"

"Don't worry," Ingrid replied to the dwarf softly, stepping out into the open again within the back of the ally and slowly walked towards both men without fear as Hook stopped trying to help Leroy while he pulled his cutlass from its scabbard in order to defend them. "The ice will melt within a few minutes and then you'll be able to run and scream to the Savior like you did before when you believed Elsa was to blame for what happened to your truck."

"What exactly is it that you want?" Killian asked calmly while he glared at the villain when she stopped a few feet in front of him, keeping his sword raised. "I may not be much of a threat to you, seeing as you have magic and I don't, but I won't allow you to harm this dwarf or anyone else."

The Snow Queen glanced over at the smaller man for a moment, then she turned back to the pirate and responded, "It isn't this dwarf that I've come here for. He was simply the bait. I've come for you, Captain."

Hook raised his blade higher until Ingrid swiftly blasted a gust of icy wind to knock it from his hand and closed in the last few steps while he was distracted until she suddenly forced her lips against his to kiss him as she grabbed the back of his head to keep him from breaking free, then he began to freeze from the inside out while Grumpy could do nothing to help him like Killian had tried to do for him. He didn't freeze over as Marian had, but her magic drew out all of the warmth from his body until he collapsed and fell to the ground after he lost consciousness when she released her hold on him.

Ingrid stepped back, then she looked over at Leroy once more as she said quietly, "I was under the impression that your pirate friend here isn't liked by too many people except maybe by those who matter most in this town. However, if you happen to be one of them who do care for him, try not to worry about him too much. He'll be alright soon enough. I only need him out cold for a little while. Tell the Savior that I'm going to prove to her this man isn't worthy of her love, as he will only break her heart. I cannot and will not allow that to happen. Emma will soon see that I'm right and she'll be grateful. Then you will all see that I'm not as much of a villain as you think I am."

"Sister, I may not like him much, but Emma does and I know him well enough to know he would never do anything to hurt her or anyone else here," Grumpy answered crossly while he glared at the woman and continued to struggle to break free. "The Savior won't be the only one coming after you if you hurt him any more than you already have."

"I would expect nothing less," she spoke again coldly, then knelt down over Killian and placed her hand over his chest as heavy snow suddenly swirled around them both until it finally vanished into the air, taking the Snow Queen and the Pirate Captain with it.


	5. Chapter 5

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Five

Meanwhile…

After she left the diner, Emma walked back to her car, seeing that Henry had gone off to the Town Hall where no doubt Regina was now, and when she walked around to the driver's side, she stepped into water as she discovered a large puddle beneath her feet. She found it strange that there wasn't water anywhere else around her, but Emma shrugged it off and then headed towards Regina's office herself in order to check up on her friend, despite the former Evil Queen's obvious disdain for her right now since she and Killian had mistakenly brought Robin's dead wife back with them from the past.

When Emma entered the building and knocked on the door to Regina's office, Henry opened it for his adopted mother, who remained seated behind her desk while she glared at the Savior as she walked in, then Henry quickly made an effort to cut the tension that immediately filled the room as he turned to Emma and eagerly asked, "So, did you ask him? Did he say yes?"

The blonde woman chuckled as she answered, "Slow down, kid. Yes, I asked him and of course he said yes. Why wouldn't he? Hook's been trying to get me to fall for him ever since we met."

"So, you finally asked the pirate out on a date?" Regina said callously as she stood up and walked around her desk before crossing her arms and leaning back on top of it, looking at Emma as she did so. "Perhaps it's good that you finally stopped denying the yearning looks the two of you keep giving each other whenever you think no one's watching."

"We've had this conversation," Emma replied curtly. "I believe you also said we become all doe-y eyed as well. It's like I said, I don't yearn."

The Mayor sneered, "Maybe you don't think so, but he definitely does. And it appears that his looks and charm worked on you just like he always wanted. Where are the two you going?"

The Savior stared at the other woman in confusion as she asked, "Do you actually care, or are you just asking these questions to set me up for disappointment?"

"I'm sorry, all right?" she responded curtly, finally letting out the real reason for her curiosity, as she was trying to avoid having to make an apology. "I realize that you and Hook bringing Marian back with you was not your fault. I blamed you because it was easier to think about than the real truth, that I just wasn't meant to have love in my life because of all the terrible things I've done."

"I don't believe that," Emma answered with sincerity. "I can't believe that. I'm the Savior and I promised everyone here that I will help them find their happy endings. That includes you too, Regina. Even if you can't be with Robin, perhaps there's someone else out there for you. Maybe Robin was only meant to open the door so that you'd be more open to the possibility of love."

She shook her head as she moved to clear the papers off of her desk and replied, "I seriously doubt that. But even if that were the case, I don't care about this other man. I want to be with Robin. Besides, Tinker Bell revealed to me that we are meant to be because of the lion tattoo on his left arm. What the hell does it mean now, now that we can't be together?"

Henry stepped up next to his birth mother as he responded, "Who knows what the future holds. It's not that I have any ill will toward Marian, or hope that she and Robin will break up for his and Roland's sakes, but it's possible the two of you can wind up together after all. Besides, I believe in Tinker Bell's magic like I believe in all other magic."

"Even in the darkest of moments, you never stop believing, do you?" the Mayor asked her son when she turned her head to look at him again.

"It's especially in the darkest moments that I believe," the thirteen year old answered with confidence. "It's when we need magic the most and not just the obvious kind. There's more to magic than the powers that shoot out of your fingers when you're fighting against evil."

Emma played with his hair as she looked at him and replied, "You're amazing, kid. You know that? I'm not sure I tell you that often enough. Come on, what do you say we get back home and see what your grandparents and Elsa are up to. I'm hoping we can try to find out more on this Snow Queen today. Are you coming, Regina?"

The dark haired woman looked at Emma sternly and then responded, "To help you find our newest threat, sure. I could use someone to take my frustrations out on. But Emma, just to give you a word of warning, I may have apologized to you and realized you're not really to blame, but I can't promise you I won't become angry at you all over again the next time I see Robin. Seeing him and not being able to be with him is going to continue to make me crazy."

"Don't I know it," the Savior answered as the three of them walked out of the office together and then started walking down the street towards Granny's. "There have been plenty of times I've resented and been angry with you too."

"It's a never ending cycle I'm afraid," Regina replied again.

All of a sudden, Grumpy came running towards them from within town, followed closely by Elsa, David, and Mary Margaret as he shouted like he always did, "Emma! Sister, thank God I found you. You've got to come right now. The Snow Queen just attacked again and she froze me to a wall!"

Because the dwarf had come running to the Charmings first in search for their daughter and told them what happened already, David cut in before Leroy could continue as he spoke up saying worryingly, "Emma, she's taken Hook."

"What?" the Savior stated with shock as she stared at her parents and Elsa in disbelief. "I don't… Why would she do that? What could she possibly want with Killian? The only reason why he was in harm's way yesterday was because he put himself in harm's way."

"It's probably so that she can get to you, Emma," Regina responded when no one else did. "She obviously saw how protective you were of him and since it appears she's been in this town for some time now, seeing as she knows a lot about us already, she must have seen the two of you together all this time."

The Savior shook her head in anger as she answered, "No, I won't let this ice witch or Snow Queen, whatever the hell she is, take Hook too. I've lost too many people. I can't go through it again!"

Mary Margaret pulled her daughter into her arms and replied worryingly, "You won't have to. We're going to find him. I promise."

"You shouldn't make promises you don't know you can keep," Emma whispered when she pulled away and then turned to look over at Leroy again. "What did she do to him? Did she say anything when she attacked you and Killian?"

"She knocked him unconscious with her magic, though I'm not really sure how," the dwarf responded nervously as he looked at his friend, leaving out the part about her kissing him to do so. "She did say he was going to be fine, for now anyways. She failed to tell me what she did to him, but she did say something else."

When Grumpy didn't continue right away because he was afraid to tell the Savior the rest, Elsa raised her eyebrows with curiosity and worry as she asked firmly, "What else did she tell you?"

He glanced at Emma and finally answered, "She said she was going to prove to you that Hook was unworthy of your love and that he will break your heart one day, that she won't let him hurt you. She somehow thinks we'll all be grateful for getting rid of him in time. I'm so sorry, sister."

"If that's what she thinks, she's got a hell of a fight coming to her," Emma replied coldly as she looked over at her parents and Regina again, then turned to Henry. "I need you to head back to the loft, or go back home with Regina so that you'll be safe. Regina, you can make sure he's protected. Meet us at Granny's when you're done. We need to come up with a way to find Killian and defeat this witch."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," the Mayor responded. "Don't worry, Henry will be fine."


	6. Chapter 6

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Six

When Killian reawakened some time later, though how long he's been unconscious for he didn't know, he struggled to sit up from the cold hard ground where he was lying just as he struggled to warm up from having all of his body warmth stripped from him when the Snow Queen had attacked him and Leroy. However, when he was finally able to see more clearly, he looked around him and found that he was somewhere deep within the woods surrounding the town in a place he couldn't recognize as the ground and trees were entirely covered in white. Snow and ice had fallen over the vast area as far as he could see. The villainess had restored his body heat, but the coldness of the winter now blanketing the woods didn't make him feel any warmer and he was weak when he finally managed to sit up. Whatever this woman had in mind for him, it wasn't good.

"I'm very sorry about having to resort to such drastic measures, Captain," Ingrid spoke quietly while she sauntered toward him after she suddenly appeared before him again like she had done before in the alleyway. "But it's time for the Savior's lesson and unfortunately you're a big part of what I have planned in order to force her learn it."

"And what is that?" he questioned as he weakly rose to his feet using his hand and hook to help lift himself from the ground, trying to keep his shivering hidden from her so as to not appear as weak as he felt. "Whatever lesson it is you wan… want to teach Emma, you'll find she'll defy you no matter what… you do to me."

The Snow Queen slowly began to walk around him while she asked callously, "Do you really believe Emma thinks so little of you, that she wouldn't do whatever it takes to save your life? Because I've seen quite the contrary. However, that isn't what me kidnapping you is all about."

Killian smiled and then smugly responded, "You really believe she would risk her life to save mine?"

"Act cheeky all you want," she answered when she stopped moving as she stood in front of him again. "Your bravery won't help you now. In fact, neither can Emma. Her test isn't to see if she can save you before I kill you, Killian. But so that she'll learn that loving you isn't worth losing the beautiful woman she's become and most importantly, not what makes her the Savior. She'll soon see that you will only destroy her if she continues to allow you into her heart and then… she will leave you if you somehow do manage to survive the day."

"Only those I consider my friends call me by my real name," Hook replied angrily. "You're certainly no friend of mine, or anyone else's here in this town. It's obvious that you know Elsa quite well and it appears you may know Emma too, but if you think you'll convince her that I will do like you say I will, then you don't know her as well as you believe you do. And you don't know me very well either. I would give my life a hundred times over in order to keep Emma safe. I love her."

Ingrid glared at him as she sneered, "How very noble of you, Captain. Let's put that to the test, shall we? Just how deep is your love for Emma?"

He responded, "It's certainly stronger than all the magic you possess. As I said, do to me what you will. I won't ever hurt her and you won't convince her that I would. And it will take a lot more than the kiss of death for you to kill me."

"Because you're a survivor?" she stated contemptuously, having seen the moment between them as Hook said this to Emma within her mirror, then leaned in until her face was inches apart from his and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You're going to have to be if you want to live through what I have in store for you."

"It's time to begin your first test, Captain!" the Snow Queen called out after she stepped back and then turned to walk away from him while she raised her hands again as she conjured some kind of large cat made of snow and ice, just like the giant snow monster they fought on the day the heroes first met Elsa, that suddenly formed several feet in front of them. "It'll be a test of endurance."

Killian struggled to remain on his feet as his cold and shivering continued to grow worse, while he glanced between the villainess and the beast she created once it became fully formed, then he cried, "This is ludicrous! How the hell does trying to outrun and survive a snow monster of yours meant to prove anything? You have all the power here. You've even taken my cutlass from me. How am I supposed to fight against your magic?"

Ingrid looked back at him as she sneered, "You still have your hook and your wit. You also have your leather duster that should continue to keep you warm enough to get you through this if you don't take too long."

"And now you have your sword back as well," she added when she swiftly made his blade reappear on the ground at his feet as she blew away the snow that covered it. "First I need to see just how strong you are and if you die now, it will prove that Emma doesn't mean as much to you as you claim she does. But if you survive, we'll be able to continue."

"How bloody fantastic for you," Hook retorted coldly, then started to back away as the leopard slowly began to saunter toward him until it stopped and roared at him loudly.

The evil woman watched as the pirate backed away from her as she continued, "I suggest you get moving, Captain. The snow leopard is a patient creature when it stalks its prey, but if you waste too much time, she will kill you. And it will not be a quick death, or a painless one."

Killian called out to her once more as he asked, "And when will I know that I've beaten your twisted game?"

"Only when you've found a way to conquer my monster, as you so eloquently call her," the Snow Queen snidely answered. "I do certainly wish you luck. It appears that you're going to need it."

"So it would seem," he replied to himself crossly.

Hook started to run to try to get as far away from the beast as he could before it decided to come after him. It wasn't easy at first because he was so cold. But so long as he kept on moving, his lack of warmth didn't seem to bother him so much. When he finally stopped to rest while he struggled to get his breathing under control, he looked around finding that he still couldn't recognize any of his surroundings, nor could he tell what direction he was heading, or which way Storybrooke even was. As far as he could tell, the Snow Queen's magic covered every inch of the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Seven

After Killian took off as her snow leopard followed after its prey, Ingrid walked away to return to her cave so that she would be able to keep her eyes on him for as long she wanted through her magic mirror. She watched as Hook stumbled from time to time while he continued to run, but eventually the Snow Queen grew bored and waved her hand over the looking glass to change the images until she saw Emma walking down the street with her son as well as the Mayor of Storybrooke from when she had been in the middle of the woods taunting Hook.

She saw the dwarf she had used as bait to trap her captive run up to Emma, followed closely by her parents and Elsa too, while Leroy started to deliver her message to the Savior as she knew he would until the Sheriff and Emma's father continued with the bad news when the smaller man was unable to relay the worst of it to the woman they all knew cared about the Pirate Captain very deeply even if she herself didn't know how much yet.

Ingrid couldn't help, but smile upon seeing Emma's fear and doubt that they would find Hook like her mother had tried to encourage her they would. However, her smile faded when the Savior's emotional state changed to defiance as she claimed that she would be coming after her for a fight.

It wasn't that she didn't expect Emma to react this way, but seeing her anger and determination to save this man made Ingrid realize it was too soon for the heroes to know that she was involved in Killian's disappearance, and for them even knowing he had been taken would only make Emma more determined to fight for him, rather than turn against him as Ingrid hoped Emma would.

All of a sudden, Mr. Gold appeared within a cloud of red smoke behind the Snow Queen as he called out, "You're looking a bit stressed, dearie. You've already made a mistake, haven't you?"

Without turning around to look at the Dark One, she replied coldly, "You needn't be concerned with my plans. I believe I've already made this very clear to you. Besides, I already know what I need to do. I don't need your help. What is it that you want now?"

"Well, I did come to compliment you on your success in kicking things off so soon, but from the frown on your face, perhaps I was a bit too hasty," he answered, then moved to stand beside her to watch the images before them as the heroes continued to talk until he swiftly waved his hand over the mirror to change the scene back to Hook. "You have succeeded in capturing the Savior's boyfriend and have created quite an interesting scenario to test his limits. Yet as much I would enjoy watching him fall should he do so, you do realize Miss. Swan will save her pirate just in the nick of time don't you? She has a dreadfully annoying habit of that."

"She won't be able to save him if she doesn't remember or believe that Captain Hook is in any danger," Ingrid smugly responded when she finally turned her head to look at him. "And the Captain will remain completely at my mercy."

When Gold realized what she had planned he replied, "You're going to erase the memory of Hook being taken from all of those who know about it. I believe once before I complimented you on how well you've improved with the rock troll's memory magic spells, but how exactly do you plan to wipe the memories you wish to from here?"

The Snow Queen smiled again as she answered, "I've been practicing. My power's improved even more so than it was before. Think about it, Rumple. You didn't remember who I was after I first arrived in this town and not until Emma broke the Evil Queen's curse. The lack of your memory of me from when we met in the Enchanted Forest was obviously not caused because of the curse, so naturally…"

"You erased yourself from my mind," the pawnshop owner interrupted. "I might have been impressed, but I'm afraid your memory spell wasn't as strong as you believed. I remembered you all along, dearie. I simply pretended not to. You cast your magic from within your apartment you lived at in town until you revealed yourself to everyone else and had to come into hiding way out here. And now, you are going to erase Miss. Swan's and the rest of the heroes' memories that you have kidnapped the pirate from here. Do you really have that much strength? It will take much to steal more than one person's memories from this distance."

"Emma has made a date with Killian tonight," Ingrid responded. "I fear Emma will be disappointed that the Captain will be standing her up."

Gold looked at the woman again with confusion as he replied, "You underestimate her feelings for Hook. He has disappointed her in the past and yet she somehow has been able to forgive him time and time again. She will believe something has happened to him, rather than that he's simply… stood her up as you say. Their bond is stronger than even that which I understand."

She pulled out a small round stone hidden within a sleeve of her gown and began the spell to erase the proper memories while she answered, "She won't think so when I've finished formulating the plan to prove to Emma otherwise. I've learned magic from many people in my life Rumpelstiltskin. You've only taught me a tiny fraction of what I know. Trust me, I will destroy this bond between Emma and Hook and then she will be ready for what else I have in store for her. And so long as you don't stand in my way, I will give you something that you will want in return."

"I'm interested to see if you're right," Gold stated and then vanished again.

"I bet you are," she responded to herself, then she continued to steal away the heroes' memories like she began.


	8. Chapter 8

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Eight

The heroes all returned to the Charmings' loft where they would be able to discuss their current problem and plan more privately, so that hopefully the Snow Queen wouldn't be anywhere around to hear them talking. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after they arrived when all of a sudden each of them felt weak as streaks of dark magic appeared and entered into their minds, stripping them of all knowledge of Hook being taken. When the magic disappeared, it was as though nothing happened to them aside from the silence that had fallen over everyone, no one being able to remember what it was they were talking about moments ago.

Emma tilted her head in confusion as she spoke up asking, "What were we just talking about?"

Mary Margaret shook her head as if trying to remember herself and then finally answered, "I think we were talking about your date plans with Hook tonight."

"If that was what you were talking about, then perhaps that's my queue to leave," Regina responded with frustration as she stood up to leave again until the woman who was her stepdaughter immediately reached up to grab her arm, then pulled her back down.

"Wait Regina, please don't leave," Snow said while she looked at the Mayor as she did so. "I'm sorry. We'll talk more about that later. But right now, we really need to discuss this Snow Queen. Where is Hook? Didn't you text him to ask you to meet him here, Emma?"

The Savior shook her head as she replied, "Actually, I don't know. But I'll give him a break from our villain discussion this afternoon. He had a rough day yesterday. He deserves a break."

David stood up and walked over to the crib as he leaned down to lay his and Mary Margaret's son down after he had fallen asleep, then said quietly, "Honestly, I think he would like to know what's going on the same as any of the rest of us, especially since she nearly killed him yesterday."

"That's just it," Emma retorted. "We don't know what's going on. We don't know who this woman is, how she knows Elsa and me as she appears to, or whatever the hell her grudge against us is. How are we supposed to make a plan for anything against her, when we don't know what it is we're up against?"

"I think that's the whole point of us coming together," Elsa answered, not really understanding that Emma was ranting more than she really meant the words she had said just now. "Surely there's some clues around this town that can help us find answers."

Mary Margaret suddenly looked over at David as she responded quickly, "Actually, you know what? I think there might be something we can try. Oh my gosh, I can't believe we didn't think of this before!"

David watched with confusion as she ran over to their closest while he called out, "What are you talking about, Mary Margaret?"

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Regina asked curiously, feeling just as confused as everyone else.

"While still rifling through the things inside the closet behind all of their clothes Snow replied, "The Census records we've kept. Where did we put them?"

David smiled, impressed that his wife had thought of them when he didn't, then he answered, "You know, I'm not really sure. I'll come and help you look."

Emma looked over at Regina in confusion, while she seemed just as confused until Henry noticed their looks and spoke up finally saying, "Grandma and Grandpa have kept detailed records of every curse, spell, battle, as well as every person and villain that have ever come here to Storybrooke in case something like this ever came up. If we've encountered the Snow Queen before and somehow have forgotten about it because of the curse, or some memory spell, it's possible that she's in the books."

"How come I didn't know about this?" Emma asked as though she was hurt to have been left out in regards to this knowledge.

"Don't look at me," the former Evil Queen scoffed when the others turned to her. "I didn't know anything about it either. But it's a smart idea. I'd very much like to know what's been written about me. Right now's just not a good time. I think I should be getting back to my office. I need to check on Marian and then go talk to Robin, to let him know of his wi… wife's current condition like I promised him I would. I'll see you later. Let me know what you all find out. And Henry, send me a text if you're going to come and stay with me again tonight. I'll be sure to be home before you get back."

Henry nodded as she left without saying goodbye to the others no longer in the room with them while they continued searching, then Emma looked up at the clock on the wall to check the time and stated, "I should probably get ready. It's about that time and I don't want to be late. I doubt Killian would appreciate it, or let me forget it."

Snow came back into the room upon hearing Neal crying and leaned down over the crib again to pick him up, then looked over at her daughter, having heard her mention she was going to get ready for her date as she responded, "That's a good idea. I can't wait to see what you're going to wear tonight. Your father's still looking for the books, but it might take a bit longer for us to find than we thought. It's possible we leant them out to Belle or to the fairies. We'll keep on looking though. Maybe we can use the records to help us find your sister too, Elsa."

"That would wonderful if that were true, but Henry said these books have records of everyone who's ever come here to Storybrooke," the Queen of Arendelle replied worryingly as she looked between the other women standing with her as well as at baby Neal. "The only reason why I'm here is because I was trapped inside an urn that was brought through the time portal which brought you and Hook home from your trip to the past. I very much doubt Anna would have ever been here. She must be at home, in Arendelle. And probably in danger from Prince Hans and his twelve brothers."

"We'll find her, Elsa," the Savior said with confidence. "I don't know how yet, but we will. And by the way, you said that your sister has a fiancé, right? Surely he'll do whatever it takes to make sure that she is safe. My parents fight every day to protect each other and everyone they love. Love is the same in any world."

Elsa smiled and patted her friend's arm in gratitude, the she answered sincerely, "You're right. Kristoff will keep her safe. Thank you. Don't you have a date to get ready for? Don't make yourself late because of me."

Nearly two hours later, Emma was sitting in silence at the table within the dining room of their apartment, staring ahead at nothing while she rolled her finger around the top of the glass of water sitting in front of her. She was wearing a red knee-length dress that was elegant much like the gown she had worn at the ball they attended while they were in the Enchanted Forest, her hair was down and curled under at the ends, and when Mary Margaret walked around her daughter to sit down in the chair across from her, she noticed that Emma was no longer wearing the necklace she always wore given to her by Neal that was her way of remembering the man she had lost.

Emma might or might not have taken it off consciously, but Snow knew then that a small part of her daughter was ready to let another man into her life and she knew it was because of Killian, for which she had been grateful to him for until now. Hook had texted Emma earlier that he would arrive nearly forty-five minutes ago to pick her up for their date. Yet, he never showed and there was no message from him explaining why he wasn't there. Snow could see from Emma's face that she was angry, but mostly hurt even if she struggled to hide it.

Mary Margaret reached out to place her hand gently over Emma's as she whispered, "I'm sure there's a good reason why he isn't here. Hook's crazy about you, Emma."

"I don't really care," the younger woman responded coldly. "If there is a good reason, he should have called me. I just don't get it. Ever since Neverland, he's been flirting with me and doing everything he can to try to win me over. For once, I finally started to believe that someone cared about me enough to be in this with me for the long haul. Clearly I was wrong. So, you know what? I don't really care if he has a good explanation or not. I'm done with him. I gave him a chance and he blew it."

"Emma, you can't just give up," her mother replied worryingly as Emma stood up and began to wash the dishes left in the sink from lunch earlier until she paused when she heard her phone buzzing upon receiving a text message. "Look, it's Hook now. I'm sure he's letting you know he's on his way, or that something important came up and that he couldn't…"

The Savior raised her hand to cut Snow off while she read the message and then stated angrily, "You're wrong. And I was right. He isn't here because he had one too many drinks down by the docks and now he's not feeling well enough to make it for our date. He says he'll see me tomorrow. Oh, and he says he might have been too hasty in trading his ship for a woman who just can't seem to find it in herself to let him in fully. I'm going to bed."

David returned home after having driven Henry back to his other home with Regina just as Emma walked away and climbed the stairs to the loft as he turned to Snow and Elsa, who came toward them from the couch in their living room, then he asked, "What happened? Did something go wrong on their date? Emma's home so early."

"Hook stood her up," Snow answered crossly as she looked up towards the loft, then back at her husband. "He got himself drunk and now he's too hungover to come out."

"Damn it, I warned Hook I'd kill him if he hurt her," David responded angrily and then started toward the door to go find the pirate. "I knew I was right not to trust him. Where is he right now?"

Elsa shook her head as she answered, "Emma didn't tell us if he said or not. Only that he had gone down to the docks to have a few drinks."

The Prince looked at the woman as he asked, "Wait, Hook called Emma himself to say that he was drunk?"

"No, he sent her a text," Mary Margaret responded in confusion what he meant. "What are you thinking?"

"Look, I don't really know if Hook's intentions with Emma are true and I know I'm the last one to want them to become involved, but after everything Hook's done to try to prove himself, I have to give him the benefit of the doubt," David replied in frustration. "He may have a drinking problem somewhat, but I find it strange that he would get himself drunk just when he's finally gotten what he's been pining for since Neverland. I'm going to look for him. Don't wait up for me. I'll probably be back late. I can't believe I'm defending him."


	9. Chapter 9

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Nine

"Belle, I'm glad that you're here," David said quietly as he cautiously entered the pawnshop, finding the young beauty reading a book while she sat on the counter upon which the cash register sat. "I don't suppose Gold's around, is he?"

"No, he's not here," she responded suspiciously as she stared at the Sheriff in confusion while he walked towards her. "Can I help you?"

He chortled upon seeing her skepticism and then replied, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to act so wary around you. It's just that I'm here because I was hoping maybe you've seen Hook around, and since he and Gold aren't exactly…"

She immediately understood as she interrupted, "Friends? Believe me, I understand. And no, I'm afraid I haven't seen him. Is something wrong? Do you believe something's happened to him?"

"No," David answered rather quickly, then ran his hand over his face in frustration. "I mean I don't think so. Although, it's possible he could be. Apparently Emma received a strange from him tonight. It's just… It's out of character, even for him. If he is as he says he is, surely someone would have seen him by now and yet I can't seem to find him anywhere."

"Okay, why don't you just start at the beginning," Belle finally responded, not really understanding what the Prince was trying to say as his words were kind of jumbled. "What's going on with Killian?"

He smiled and nodded, then he continued, "Emma asked Hook out on a date this morning. She was worried about doing so because of Neal, not to mention the other men in her life, but… against my better judgement I think Mary Margaret and I did a good job convincing her to take the next step with him. And now tonight they were supposed to go out, but instead Hook stood her up. He's wanted to be with Emma ever since Neverland and yet he went out this afternoon and got himself so drunk that he's become too sick to show up."

She looked at David worryingly as she replied, "No, that doesn't make any sense. I may not know Killian all that well, though I know he likes his rum. But he's in love with Emma and he would never hurt her like this. He would never just not show up."

"That's what I thought," Charming answered in frustration. "And it's like I said, I've searched the docks and the beach where I know he still goes for solace even if he doesn't have his ship any longer, I've looked all over town and now I'm here, hoping that maybe you might have seen him. If he was drunk, someone ought to have seen him."

"I'm guessing you would be talking about Hook?" Gold sneered as he came walking in from the back room, having poofed himself back to his shop after taking care of some personal business that included talking to the Snow Queen. "I only ask because our resident pirate is really the only person in this town who has a penchant for drinking, enough to make himself a drunk."

Belle looked over at him as she retorted, "Killian is far from being a drunk, Rumple. But if he has gotten himself drunk tonight, then something must be bothering him. David is worried he might be missing."

The Dark One glared at the Prince and responded callously, "It seems you have come to change your own feelings of disapproval towards him if you're willing to believe something has happened to him, rather than that he's gone off to drink until he's no longer sober. Have you come to see him as more than what he really is too, Your Majesty? As your foolish daughter has?"

"Watch it, Gold!" David replied brusquely as he started toward him and grabbed his shirt collar to shove him back against the counter until he stopped himself when Belle cried out while he looked at her, then breathed in and out to calm himself down before turning back to the villain standing in front of him. "Hook has worked hard to try to prove himself to all of us. He isn't exactly the man I would have chosen for Emma, but I know that he tries to make her happy. We all make mistakes. If he really has gotten himself drunk, I doubt Emma will give him another chance and you'll be happy to know that he's defeated himself. But if something's wrong and he's in trouble, I need to know it. Now, if you've seen him perhaps you could point me in the right direction?"

"I haven't seen him," Rumple answered coldly. "But perhaps the dwarfs who are about to come running in here with some sort of news have."

Just then, Grumpy, Happy, Doc, and Dopey all ran in through the door as Happy called out, "Your Highness! Sorry to interrupt, Sir. But you really ought to come see this."

The Sheriff looked between the smaller men as he stated, "See what? What's wrong now?"

"It's the woods," Leroy responded sternly. "Starting out where the ice wall stands over the town line, the woods have now become frozen over too for as far as our eyes can see. This Snow Queen is expanding her power. What if her plan is to freeze all of Storybrooke?"

"Just like Elsa accidently did to her own Kingdom," David replied, though more to himself as he thought back to one of his conversations with Elsa after she first arrived.

Doc looked at their leader worryingly as he spoke up saying, "Yes of course, but I doubt what the Snow Queen is doing here is accidental."

The Prince nodded and then answered, "All right, let's go take a look. Thank you for our help, Belle. If you see or hear from Hook…"

"I'll let you know," she quickly responded, then the dwarfs walked out as David followed after them. "Be careful out there."

"We always are," he replied and then left.

Almost an hour later…

David and the dwarfs were walking cautiously among the outskirts of the woods, not really caring to walk too deeply in while it was now dark outside. The Sheriff merely wanted to see the trouble for himself. However, just as he told his friends it was time to head back into town for the night after mentioning that they would discuss it more in the morning with everyone else, David froze for a moment upon seeing Hook walk up from within the snow surrounding them.

Because the pirate was standing ahead of him in the distance, Charming had to shout as he cried, "What the hell are you doing out here at this hour and all alone?"

Killian took a sip from his flask and then answered, "Well, I would ask… the same as you, but… it would appear… you've brought… back up with you, short back up."

"So it's true," the Sheriff said coldly as he glared at the man he had slowly begun to consider a friend until now upon noticing he was slurring his words. "You really are drunk. And you're out here patrolling instead of being back in town, on your date with my daughter."

"Yes, it appears that I am," Hook responded, leaning up against the tree behind him. "But isn't for the reasons… you might think, Dave."

David walked towards him as he replied crossly, "What the hell are you doing? I thought you cared about Emma. You could have at the very least cancelled on her before she sat around waiting for you. I was finally beginning to believe you might have changed."

The Pirate Captain stepped back as the Savior's father started getting nearer, then he looked him and replied, "It appears we were both… wrong. I was reminded this afternoon that I don't belong here. I may care… for Emma, but I was fooling myself thinking I could be anything more than… Captain Hook. I belong on the open seas with the Jolly Roger, yet I gave her up to be with a woman I doubt will ever let me in fully. We're both ly… lying to ourselves. Go home and get yourself… warmed up, Dave. We'll see each other tomorrow and you can… kill me then if you still want to. For tonight, I'm going to continue to enjoy my rum."

"You selfish bastard," David answered angrily, while Hook only chuckled as he looked away from the other man, then Charming turned around and walked away, followed by the dwarfs after they simply listened to their conversation.

"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say," Killian whispered to himself as he smiled until he suddenly faded from the woods and the Snow Queen's mirror while Ingrid stepped back smiling, as she had conjured an image of Hook before Emma's father. "Sorry, Captain. But any good you've done is worthless now."


	10. Chapter 10

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Ten

When the sun began to rise the next morning, Killian struggled to climb down from the tree he had climbed hours before to rest above ground where he hoped the Snow Queen's magical beast wouldn't be able to get to him while he tried to sleep, though it barely came for him despite how exhausted he was from running so hard to stay ahead of her monster and the cold that still surrounded him, not to mention that he had grown weary of all the trouble each of the heroes have all been through as of late, more so than he let on to Emma.

That was why Emma asking him out was such a surprise to him and why he looked forward to the night that just passed him by because of the villainess who had begun this test of endurance as she had called it and had God knows what else she had in mind for him, that is if he even survived her first challenge. Finally, Hook continued through the woods in search for the town, keeping his eyes and ears out for any sign of the snow leopard in hope that the creature stalking him wouldn't suddenly jump out at him from out of nowhere.

While he did so, Hook also struggled with trying to keep his mind clear, not just because he needed to concentrate on keeping himself awake and moving, but because he was trying to avoid thinking about what Emma and her parents, as well as her son were all thinking about him now that he had stood the Savior up. He knew that Emma would be hurt that he had now done as the rest of the men she had loved had done to her, and that David especially would be angry at him after all his efforts to try to prove to the Prince he was worthy enough for his daughter.

 _"I think it's time you and I have a little talk about your intentions with my daughter," Killian couldn't help, but remember the father of the woman he loved saying to him cynically as he had during their very brief conversation a few days ago before chaos interrupted them like it always did._

 _"That's a little old-fashioned, even by my standards," Hook replied with frustration while he watched as Emma moved closer to the ice wall in front of them for a closer look, then turned his face and body to his friend. "And I still pay with doubloons."_

 _David kept looking around them keeping his flashlight ahead of him, not quite looking at Hook as he responded, "Oh remember, I know your reputation. Emma is not some conquest."_

 _The Pirate Captain kept his eyes on David, who finally looked over at him as well and nodded after Killian started off firmly until his voice softened while he answered, "I wouldn't risk my life for someone I see as loot. Whatever we become, it's up to her as much as me."_

"It appears you may have been right after all, David," Killian whispered to himself when he quickly forced the memory away. "My intentions were obviously not as honorable as I believed them to be."

 _"So… crisis averted," he suddenly heard himself saying with a laugh when another memory swiftly entered his mind while he continued walking onward, being unable to block it as he saw Emma standing within the woods ahead of him while she made a snowball and cast it away._

 _Emma turned to him once he approached her and chortled at his comment, then she asked in frustration, "Now you want to go home and see what's on Netflix?"_

 _Hook smiled at her as he looked at her with confusion, then he chuckled and replied, "I don't know what that is, but sure."_

 _"Killian, someone created that... Snowman," she responded nervously, looking between him and their surroundings. "This isn't over."_

 _"It never is," he curtly stated, then looked deeper into her eyes and moved closer to her seductively. "All the more reason to enjoy the quiet moments, and right now... We have a quiet moment."_

 _Emma smiled, but backed away from him as she whispered, "I know. I just got to do something."_

 _Hook waved her off in frustration and answered, "Right. Of course. Go ahead. Don't tell me you're not avoiding me anymore because I'm actually quite perceptive, and this... This is avoiding me."_

 _"No… I know," the Savior replied sadly as she looked up into his eyes as he turned back to her. "I am. I just feel... Right now, I just feel too guilty."_

 _He looked at her skeptically as he asked, "Over Regina?"_

 _She quickly continued, "She lost someone she really cares for because of me."_

 _"No, there's more to this than just Regina, isn't there?" Killian retorted upon reading the look on her face._

 _"Be patient," Emma responded quietly after she leaned in to kiss him and then walked away from him._

 _Hook watched after her until Emma disappeared and then turned to leave the woods as well while he said to himself with frustration, "I have all the time in the world. Unless... Another monster appears and kills me."_

Killian was suddenly pulled from his thoughts as Ingrid appeared behind him, causing him to stand still and then turn around when she called out, "You survived the night. I have to admit I didn't know if you would or not."

"What did I… tell you, love?" he spoke up saying smugly even though he was even colder than he was when he first woke up from his uneasy sleep. "I'm a hell of a survivor. I've lived… for centuries while fighting against villains such as Pan, the bloody Wicked Witch, and especially Rum… Rumpelstiltskin. You, Your Majesty… if that's what you even are, pale in comparison."

"Then perhaps I haven't proved to you just how villainous I can really be," the Snow Queen answered cruelly as she swiftly raised her hands to force the pirate backwards against a tree behind him with a large gust of icy wind, causing him to cry out in pain.

While he struggled to sit up and get back to his feet again, keeping his eyes on her as he did so, the woman slowly moved closer to him, then continued angrily, "I could easily kill you right here and now, Captain. However, doing so would defeat my purpose in choosing you to help me win Emma over. It's your task to survive my snow leopard, not me."

Hook glared at her as he replied, "Then let your beast attack me already and get this bloody test of yours be over with. I'm more than ready."

"Not yet you aren't," Ingrid responded. "By the way, I thought you might like to know that Emma was terribly disappointed when you failed to show up for your date. But try not to worry, I made sure that she received your message. She didn't take it well, and neither did the Savior's father for that matter, but that's what happens to a man who pretends to be a hero."

"What have you done?" Killian asked sternly while he leaned against the tree behind him for support.

She smiled and answered, "I made it so that all your good work has been undone. They all believe you failed to show last night because you got yourself drunk upon realizing that you made a mistake to give your long life as a pirate up. They already see you as the selfish man you truly are and Emma will come to hate you by the time I'm through. You should have seen her last night. She was devastated and you're responsible."

Ingrid then disappeared within the snow that suddenly surrounded her as Hook bowed his head sadly and whispered to himself once more, "Some bloody hero I turned out to be."


	11. Chapter 11

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Eleven

After Henry woke up the next morning, he quickly got himself ready and headed back to Granny's expecting to find his birth mom, Elsa, and his grandparents already there, and Hook as well. The thirteen year old was anxious to see how the date between Hook and his mother went, unaware that Hook never arrived for it. Killian had already been late to arrive when he and David left to bring him back to his home with Regina, but even though Henry was unsure if he could trust Captain Hook to not hurt his mother has his own father had, Henry still liked the pirate. Hook did after all help to rescue him from Neverland and fought to protect him against the Wicked Witch because he genuinely cared about him, along with the rest of the heroes.

Regina had already left to either go to her office, or to visit with Robin by the time he left their mansion. Once he arrived at the diner, he was right about his family and their new friend from Arendelle already being inside having breakfast, but from the tension that suddenly filled the room as he entered, it was clear that everyone, especially Emma, was upset about something that had happened after his grandfather had brought him home.

Upon seeing her grandson, Snow White stood up from her seat at their booth while David continued to hold baby Neal and then spoke first saying, "Good morning, Henry. How did you sleep?"

The teenager looked around at the others before finally stopping on the Princess and stared at her strangely as he answered, "I slept fine. Did something happen last night? What's wrong?"

"It's a long story," Mary Margaret replied quietly, then grabbed a handful of napkins and some cream for the coffee Granny had just served to them moments before the boy walked in. "Come sit down. Just try not to bring Hook up to either your mother or your grandfather. Emma's pretty hurt and David… Well he's pretty angry at the pirate right now."

"Since when has Killian become 'the pirate' again?" he asked and then took a seat beside Emma and Elsa, both of whom slid over to make room for him at their table.

Emma had heard her son mention Killian's name, then she responded curtly, "It doesn't matter. He's decided that he made a mistake trying to pursue a relationship with me. I doubt he'll be around much anymore."

David quickly added, "If he knows what's good for him he won't be."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up such a sore subject, but what happened last night?" Henry asked again with confusion. "That doesn't make any sense. Killian's crazy about you, Mom. You can't seriously believe that he would even think that for a second?"

"Even I didn't believe it at first," Charming answered coldly as Granny returned to their table with their food they ordered before Henry arrived. "I thought it was strange even for him. Not until I heard it from him himself. I went out to search for him last night when he didn't come to pick your mother up for their date."

When David paused a moment, Elsa continued for him as she stated, "Hook was drunk just as he told your mother he was in a message on some sort of talking device, which I saw Hook use once just before we confronted the Snow Queen."

Emma suddenly slammed the mug she drank from down on the table in front of her and replied angrily, "I'm done talking about this right now. What's done is done. Besides, we have more important matters to discuss."

"Yeah, another crisis that has nothing to do with that good for nothing pirate," Leroy responded angrily after he walked over to them from the bar where he sitting moments ago and stood beside their table along with Granny, who nodded in agreement with the dwarf. "What are we going to do about the woods completely freezing over? What if the town's next?"

"The entire length of the woods isn't frozen over," their Prince answered in frustration, looking at his friend at first until he turned back to his family. "There's still quite a bit the Snow Queen left alone. Besides if they were, Robin and his men would have arrived to tell us about it."

Grumpy glared at David as he replied, "But for how long? First she put up the giant ice wall surrounding the town to keep us all trapped here and now, she's turned the woods into her own personal winter wonderland where she can hide from us for however long she needs to. We'll never find her in that kind of weather. And what's next?"

Mary Margaret looked between everyone as she responded, "We'll figure it out. We always do. Should something else come up, we'll deal with it. The Snow Queen can't hide from us forever. Eventually, she's going to try to strike out at us again and this time it won't be by surprise. We need to come up with some sort of plan."

"We can't just wait until she tries to kill us again," the Savior answered sternly. "It's because of this ice witch that all this trouble's started in the first place. What if she said something to Killian that made him feel like he doesn't belong here?"

"If he's going to get himself drunk and treat you like he did last night, then he doesn't belong here," David retorted cruelly. "If and when I see him later, I won't kill him, but I sure as hell will give him more than just a punch to the face."

Elsa turned to Emma as she said worryingly, "The Snow Queen didn't say anything to Hook. She only spoke to me. Before we came across her, Hook gave me no impression he regretted doing anything for you, Emma. He's in fact quite smitten with you, like my sister is with Kristoff. I have to agree with Henry. I don't believe that whatever he said or did to hurt you is as it seems. There has to be more to it."

The Savior shook her head sadly and stood as Henry did the same to let her out of the booth, then she replied, "I'd like to believe you, but the Snow Queen and finding Anna are the only priorities right now. I'll worry about Hook once we finish resolving the real problems here."

"Why don't I go and search the woods on my own?" the Queen of Arendelle suggested. "The cold doesn't bother me because of my powers and the Snow Queen doesn't want to hurt me. She may have a strange way of showing it, but I believe she genuinely seems to care about me."

"No," Emma quickly responded. "I won't let you risk your life. Mom's right. We'll face her again when time's right, but this time we're going to be ready for her. It's time to come up with a plan."


	12. Chapter 12

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twelve

While everyone was busy talking while trying to discuss a new plan they had come up with for their next confrontation against the Snow Queen, Elsa stepped away to make it look as though she was going to order something from Granny, who was currently dealing with passing around a few pints to the dwarfs sitting on the stools in front of her. When the Queen of Arenedelle saw everyone was distracted, she took the moment to slip away and left the diner because she felt she needed to be of more use to those trying to help her.

"You're going to try to find Hook, aren't you?" Henry asked when he suddenly came running up behind her after she had walked to the end of the town in the direction of the woods where Hook had last been seen, having followed her out of the diner. "I saw you disappear just now and I know that you don't believe he would do a complete one-eighty any more than I do."

"I'm not exactly sure what you mean," she stated when she turned around and looked at the boy with confusion.

The thirteen year old chortled and responded, "I meant that Hook would have had to have a complete reversal in his attitude overnight and even though he was a villain once, I know how he feels about my mom and that he wants to be a part of this town, our family. He's not the same person he was when he came here and one talk with this Snow Queen, or whatever might have happened, wouldn't have changed him that suddenly. Hook is my friend and if you're going to try to find him, then I'm coming with you."

Elsa shook her head as she answered worryingly, "Henry, you can't. I know you want to help, but your mother… both of them really, they would never forgive me if they knew I allowed you to put your life in danger. I doubt they'll be happy that I'm going against their wishes."

"Then why are you?" Henry asked again.

"Because my instinct is telling me that the Snow Queen has done something to Hook and after he risked his life to help me, I owe it to him to try to help him if I can," she replied stubbornly. "The only way I know how to do that, is to try to discover the truth and why, even if he has done as the others believe, why he wasn't in there with us to help formulate the new plan against this woman. It's like you said, he cares about Emma very much. He wouldn't just abandon her now even if he did change his mind about trying to fight for her. Kristoff never gave up on my sister. I see the same passion in Hook as I see in him."

The boy smiled as he responded, "So it's settled then. Let's go."

Elsa quickly reached out to pull him back by his shoulder as she answered, "I meant what I said, Henry. You can't come with me. Stay here with your mothers and the rest of your family where you'll be safe.

"Fine, but before you go, at least take one of these with you," Henry replied in frustration while he quickly pulled out one of the walkie talkies Emma and David kept with them at all times as part of their duties as sheriffs from his backpack, then handed one of them to her. "If you find Hook, or run into any trouble, call us on this. Mom and Grandpa said that yu already have had to use one."

"Yes I did," she responded. "Thank you, Henry. Don't worry, I'll be okay and hopefully so will Hook. Tell your family I'm sorry for disobeying them when they figure out that I've gone."

He started back towards Granny's as he called out to her, "I think they'll forgive you if you discover the truth behind all this!"

Once he was gone, she spoke again to herself, "I certainly hope so."

Meanwhile, within the woods…

A few more hours passed since Killian had continued to run and he was no closer to finding an exit that led into town than he was the night before. The Snow Queen was playing with him, changing the layout of the woods using her powers to do so, in order to keep him trapped as her prisoner. She was playing with him as a cat would play with a mouse and she had all the power in this game.

His fears were confirmed as he spun around to face the snow beast when it finally made an appearance again, while it stared at him from several feet in the distance. The snow leopard growled, slowly beginning to approach its prey as Killian cautiously backed away until it suddenly roared loudly and ran at him at full speed. The pirate immediately pulled his sword from its scabbard and thrust it through the monster when it jumped at him. The force of his blade entering its body was enough to knock the beast back, though it had managed to thrash its claw into his chest just beneath his left shoulder, causing Hook to fall to the ground on his knees as well.

While the leopard was stunned, Killian quickly pulled his hand back so he could look down at the wound upon feeling the tearing pain and saw that he was bleeding out from the large claw marks left behind, despite the creature being made purely out of snow and ice. Hook cursed when he turned back to the snow monster as it got back to its feet after it used it claw and teeth to pull his cutlass out of it body with ease, then began to move toward him again.

No longer having his blade to defend himself with, as the leopard had discarded it behind her, Killian stood weakly once more while he raised his hook out in front of him and then pulled out a small dagger he kept hidden within his boot in order to defend himself until he couldn't any longer.

When the snow beast roared and then suddenly charged at its prey again with all of her ferocity, Killian swiftly thrust his hook into its chest where its heart would be if the creature had one as the force of her attack knocked him back to the ground hard, causing him to cry out in anguish when her claws entered into his abdomen and leg. However, just as she landed against his body the beast suddenly dispelled back into the snow she had been conjured from through the Snow Queen's magic.

"It appears that your hook is more powerful than I believed it to be, Captain," she said as she stood over the man now writhing on the ground from the pain while he struggled to keep his eyes open, let alone on the villainess above him. "I didn't realize it possessed any kind of magic."

"And I did… didn't realize it had more… more than one use," Hook retorted defiantly and then finally managed to lay himself back against a tree behind him to try to pull himself out of the snow as much as was possible to keep from freezing to death, knowing that he wasn't going to be able to keep moving. "Magic given… to me by another powerful… being such as your… yourself to do… her bidding."

The Snow Queen knelt down before him as she reached out to gently caress his face until he swiftly pulled away from her weakly, then she answered, "You destroyed my creature despite how strong she was. I certainly underestimated your will to survive. I will just have to work that much harder to break your spirit. Fortunately for you, it appears you're going to get some reprieve, but I will be back. We aren't through yet, Captain."

She vanished again as Killian slowly lost consciousness, but not before seeing a blurred vision of someone else approaching him from the distance upon hearing a gentler, kinder voice crying out to him. He never had the chance to see as Elsa ran over to him, nor could he feel her gentle touch or the sound of her voice once more as she pulled out the talking device to call for help.

Elsa finished relaying her message to David, then looked down at her friend fearfully as she whispered, "You're going to be alright. Help is coming."

"Help is already here," Robin replied worryingly when he suddenly appeared behind the Queen from Arendelle, followed by John as the two of them knelt down to help Killian.

"I saw you leave Granny's, then ran into Henry," the archer continued when both men lifted Hook from off the ground as carefully as they could and held him between them as they carried him through the winter covered trees in order to get the pirate the help he needed, while the snow slowly began to melt away. "He asked me to come out here to look after you while we searched for Killian together. He's going to be alright. He's much too stubborn to die now. Did the Snow Queen do this?"

Elsa looked over at Robin as she responded sadly, "She must have. But what caused these wounds…?"

When she cut herself off, John looked at his friend as he answered, "So long as it has nothing to do with flying monkeys again, I can handle whatever this ice witch throws at us."

"I think it's safe to say that the flying monkeys are all gone now that Zelena is gone," the merry men's leader stated. "Are the others meeting us at the town line?"

"Yes of course," Elsa replied. "Thank you, Robin."


	13. Chapter 13

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Thirteen

Later that evening, the heroes were all gathered inside the clinic waiting for word on Hook's condition while Dr. Whale treated him. Emma, Henry, David, Mary Margaret, and Leroy had met Elsa, Robin, and John at the town line as the Queen from Arendelle requested they do over the radio, then immediately rushed Killian to the clinic no matter what it was they might have thought about him. They still may have believed the Snow Queen's lies, but when they all saw how bad off he was, their anger towards the pirate quickly dissipated.

More than three hours passed since they brought him in and everyone, including Belle and Regina who had also joined her friends stood up and turned their eyes on the doctor when Whale walked out as he cleared his throat nervously and said, "His condition isn't good, but seeing as you all brought the pirate in here, you already know that."

Emma glared at the man as she replied sternly, "Just tell us the truth. What happened to him?"

"Well, he was wounded by what appears to be a large beast, or cat I think, due to the claw marks in his chest, abdomen, and leg." Whale continued in frustration. "Hook has lost a lot of blood, which is why I've given him a transfusion to help replenish it, but it's going to take at least one more later on. On top of that, he's suffering from hypothermia, quite severely really. He must have been in the woods since last night."

"I hate to say it, but it serves him right for being stupid enough to get himself so drunk that his judgement was that seriously impaired," David answered curtly as he rubbed his hand over his face, then through his hair. "He had no business being in the woods alone last night. But I realize now I should have dragged him out of there when I had the chance. It's just that seeing him drunk when he should have been man enough to…"

Whale quickly interrupted as he asked, "Uh… Excuse me, but what makes you think he was drunk?"

The Prince looked over at the doctor again with confusion as he responded, "Because I saw him drunk for myself, when I walked around the woods to see what was going on after Leroy told us that they were frozen over. He was there already and slurring his words. He admitted to drinking his rum. Why?"

"I hate to tell you this, but that's not possible," the man who was Dr. Frankenstein in his own land replied as he scratched his head and looked between the heroes who were all staring at him. "Hook wasn't drunk when all of you brought him in here. In fact, there were no traces of rum or any other kind of alcohol in his system."

"I don't understand," Mary Margaret answered as she turned her head to look over at her husband worryingly. "Hook told Emma he was too drunk to meet up with her. He cares about her. If he wasn't drunk, then…"

David turned back to the doctor again and asked, "Isn't it possible that the alcohol has already left his system before you were able to examine him?"

Whale shook his head and responded, "If he really was as drunk as you say he was, then there's no way it could have. I'm telling you, Hook is clean. Whatever's really going on, I'm guessing magic had something to do with what happened to him. You can see him in a few minutes and then I'll keep you all updated on his condition. Now, if you'll excuse me."

"It was all a lie," Emma finally spoke again in shock as the doctor left, staring after him as the feelings of regret and anger fell over her. "Some elaborate scheme made up by the Snow Queen in order to get us to turn against Killian."

"Emma, if that's what really happened, then we'll find out the truth," her father replied worryingly. "He's going to be all right."

The Savior glared at him as she answered angrily, "Even so, he nearly wasn't! If it wasn't for Elsa going out there on her own like we warned her not to, Killian would have died and I was angry at him for standing me up. I actually believed that Snow Queen's lies and he paid for it. I told Killian that I trusted him, but I believed a villain over everything he's done to try to prove himself to me, to all of us. This is my fault."

It was then that she stormed out of the clinic as Henry called out, "Mom, wait!"

"It's all right, Henry," Regina stated as she laid her hand down on his shoulder. "She just needs some space. She'll be okay and so will Hook. You'll see."

"Regina's right," Mary Margaret responded, though with not as much confidence. "Hook survived centuries in Neverland and the Enchanted Forest having to face villains like Pan and Rumpelstiltskin. He can certainly survive a little cold."

Charming sighed in frustration and then said, "None of this makes any sense. If Hook was never drunk, then why would he have sent Emma a message saying he was before he stood her up and how is it that I saw him as such? He was there. How could the Snow Queen pull all of this off?"

Elsa replied, "She has magic. And it's obviously far more powerful than mine is as she can do more than just form snow and ice."

"Wait, so you're saying the pirate was never actually drunk last night, and that he wasn't actually there in the woods when we saw him?" Grumpy asked in confusion. "Is that right?"

"He was in those woods all right," Robin answered sadly. "I've seen plenty of men who have died in conditions such as Killian's. When I first saw him, I feared we were too late. The point is, he was freezing and like Whale said, that's only possible if he was actually in those woods for that length of time. He's lucky to still be alive."

John quickly added, "Perhaps we should really be asking is what kind of creature made those claw marks and where is it now? Why didn't it finish Hook off if… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so crass."

Regina looked between the two woodsmen as she responded, "No, you're right. If there is a large cat on the loose… Perhaps there's a way we can figure out exactly what happened, not just in regards to the cat. I doubt Hook's going to be awake anytime soon to answer our questions and you all want to know the truth about Hook not meeting with Emma on their date. I think I might be able to help you do that."

"How?" Snow asked with worry, knowing that it was going to be hard for all of them to accept just how badly they had wronged their friend if the Snow Queen had been responsible for what happened to him. "With some kind of memory spell?"

"Not exactly," the former Evil Queen replied. "But I have a magic mirror. With a little bit of his blood, I can direct it to help us discover the truth."

Henry shook his head as he answered, "No way, Hook can't afford to lose any more blood than he's already lost."

The Mayor quickly responded, "Don't worry. His clothes must be saturated with it. It'll be plenty."

"All right, do what you need to do," David replied. "I'm going to go find Emma. Snow?"

"I'm coming with you," Mary Margaret answered as she moved to follow her husband out after their daughter until she paused a moment to speak with Elsa. "You did good today. If you listened to us, Hook would have died out there."

The Queen from Arendelle smiled sadly and responded, "I only did what I felt I had to do."

Snow spoke again saying, "Thank you."


	14. Chapter 14

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Fourteen

"Emma, Whale said we would be free to go in and see Hook in a few minutes," Snow said worryingly as she and David approached their daughter not too long after she stormed out of the town's clinic in hope to try to comfort her. "He's going to…"

"Don't tell me he's going to be alright," the Savior answered angrily when she cut her mother off. "You don't know that for sure and even if he is, how can I possibly expect to have any kind of relationship with him now? Why was I so quick to believe that Killian could actually hurt me after everything? He's done nothing, but prove he's a good man. And I know how he feels about me. How could I have been so stupid?"

Mary Margaret laid her hand gently on the small of Emma's back and responded, "You can't blame yourself so harshly, Emma. After everything you've been through… Emma, are you okay?"

 _The Savior's thoughts drifted off to an earlier time between her and Killian when she had hurt him then as she had done so now, remembering as she pulled Hook out from under the debris within the giants' castle after Anton had awakened and charged at them while she whispered, "Hook."_

 _"You are bloody brilliant," the Pirate Captain replied as he laughed. "Amazing. May I see it? The compass."_

 _"It's more beautiful than legend," he continued when Emma held the compass out for him to see until she suddenly grew suspicious of Hook's motives as he started to reach out to take it from her, then Emma withdrew her hand and quickly pocketed the compass. "Come. Let's go."_

 _Killian chuckled again as he extended his hand to her in order to help her up, but instead of taking it, Emma immediately grabbed hold of a shackle lying on the ground nearby and swiftly chained Hook to the wall by his wrist, then backed away from him out of fear of his reaction._

 _He looked at her in confusion as he stood up after her while he asked, "What are you doing? What are you doing?"_

 _"Hook, I…," Emma struggled to answer as she turned away for a moment out of guilt upon seeing the hurt in his eyes. "I… I can't…"_

 _"Emma, look at me," Killian pleaded with her despondently. "Have I told you a lie? I brought you here. I risked my own safety to help you. The compass is in your hand. Why do this to me now?"_

 _She turned back to him and responded worryingly, "I can't take a chance that I'm wrong about you. I'm sorry."_

 _When the Savior started to walk away from him, Hook called out to her angrily, "You're sorry? You're sorry?! I got you here! I got you the compass!"_

 _"I got the compass," Emma replied calmly when she turned around to face him again._

 _"You're just going to leave me here to die?" he asked fearfully. "Have that beast to eat me, to crush my bones?"_

 _Emma retorted quickly, "He's not a beast. And you're not going to die. I just need a head start. That's all."_

 _When she finally walked away from him for good, the pirate shouted, "Swan? Swan! Swan!"_

"Emma!" Mary Margaret cried out her daughter's name once more to pull her out of her head.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…" she muttered nervously when she turned back to them, but didn't look into their eyes. "Killian's never given me a reason to doubt him. Do you remember when I climbed back down the beanstalk from the giants' castle alone? I never told you why, but I left Hook up there because I was too afraid to trust him, afraid that he might betray me. Yet he didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who first betrayed his trust and he still chose to help us when we needed him to again. Things aren't really any different now, except… Well actually, things are a bit different. This time, he depended on me to protect him and he believed that I would. I should have, but I didn't. Why was it so easy for me to distrust him when I thought I knew before all this happened that I could trust him? I do believe him, but I…"

David swiftly grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her to face him as he stated forcefully, "Emma! Listen to me. Just try to calm down. We know how much you're worried about him, but you have to understand, none of this is your fault. We will figure out how all this happened, whether it's from Hook himself or through Regina's magic mirror. Why don't you go and sit with Hook in the hospital. Look after him and we'll go with Regina to her vault."

Emma shook her head as she answered, "No. No, I need to see for myself what happened to him. I need to know how it was he's been out in those woods all night and for God knows how much longer, without one of us noticing that something was wrong. If the Snow Queen did have something to do with why I wasn't there for him…"

"Sweetheart, if you really feel that you need to be with us to find out the truth because you hope it will help Killian, then fine," Mary Margaret responded firmly. "But if you're coming with us because you think it'll help you to avoid seeing Hook, because you're feeling guilty, then it's probably better that you stay here at the clinic."

"I want to see him," the Savior replied sadly. "I want to be with him, but first I need to see for myself why the Snow Queen did this to him. I still believe this villain is here because of me and Elsa. She may have revealed something to Killian that Regina's mirror will allow us to see as well. And I prefer to see it firsthand."


	15. Chapter 15

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Fifteen

After Emma, Regina, his grandparents, and Leroy left the clinic, Henry remained behind to wait for word from Whale that he could go in to see Hook, as did Elsa, Robin, and John, all having promised to protect their wounded friend while the others went off to try to find out what really happened to him. As she spoke with the archer and his comrade, Elsa looked behind her and saw Emma's son sitting alone on one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs with his head down, then she quickly finished talking and walked over to sit down beside him.

He didn't look up when she did so, but she spoke up saying quietly, "I wish that I could have found Hook sooner, but… I'm sorry that this happened to him. Hook certainly didn't deserve to suffer at the hands of this woman, whoever she is. Perhaps if we hadn't have gone against Emma's wishes before, the Snow Queen might not have known about him."

The boy sighed as he raised his head to look over at the Queen from Arendelle, then he responded, "And if you hadn't, then we wouldn't know about her just yet either. Besides, I heard Mom mention that she's been here for some time already. This Snow Queen hurt Hook so that she could get to my mom. I doubt that yesterday, or the day before, had anything to do with today. I'm just angry because if anyone one else besides the two of us actually believed he could have been in trouble, we would have been able to create a locating spell, although I'm not sure my mom actually has something that belongs to him. So, maybe not."

"You shouldn't be angry with them, or blame yourself for being unable to convince your family that something was wrong," Elsa replied. "The Snow Queen did this. She found a way to make Hook appear as though he had abandoned us, then hurt him in order to make a point. She is trying to split us apart and so far we're allowing her to do it."

"Elsa's right, Henry," Robin continued as he too walked over, then sat down at his other side.

Henry quickly answered, "I know that my mom and grandparents aren't responsible. And I'm not blaming them for any of this, not really anyway. I'm just worried is all, worried that my mom is going to lose yet another man in her life. She's already lost my dad and then Walsh, both of whom had hurt her before they died. Dad at least made up for his mistakes, but they've made Mom believe she doesn't deserve love in her life. Her life's been really hard on her and I know how hard it's been for her to let another man in. But Hook changed that for her. I encouraged Mom it was okay to let herself be happy again. I know the kind of man Hook used to be, so I was kind of hesitant about her really dating him. But the more I've thought about what he's done for us, for me… Seeing that he's a hero like the rest of you are, I knew he deserved to be happy with my mom too if that's what they both wanted. And now they're both paying for taking that risk again."

Robin looked over at him as he asked with sincerity, "Isn't you who always says to believe what we feel in our hearts? I think it's time for you to listen to your own advice and trust that if Emma and Killian are meant to be in love, then true love will find a way to beat its adversary."

"I suppose I just needed to be reminded," the thirteen year old responded as he smiled at the archer. "Thank you, Robin. And don't worry, everything will work out for you, my mom, and Marian. You'll see."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but if any of you would like to see the pirate, you can," Whale said as he walked back out into the waiting room. "He won't be awake any time soon. In fact I'm not exactly the full extent of his injuries yet, but at least for now he's stabilized. Let your mother know. Would you, Henry?"

Meanwhile…

Regina entered her vault alone, having walked ahead of Emma, Mary Margaret, and David purposely so that she 'd be able to talk to Sydney before they arrived, not wanting him to reveal that she was still keeping him trapped inside of her mirror. Even though she knew she should release him, the former Evil Queen also needed his help if she was going to find a way to help her get back her happiness with Robin.

She stepped in front of the looking glass and stared at her own reflection for a moment and then called out, "It's time to wake up, Sydney. But it isn't me who needs your help this time."

Sydney's face appeared within the glass as he replied, "And who is it we're going to help tonight? And since when did you really ever do something for someone else, that didn't involve something in it for you?"

"The Charmings are on their way," Regina answered snidely while she glared back at the genie. "The Snow Queen has harmed Hook and we were hoping, and by we I mean me, that you could help us get a better idea what happened out there and what she was after. But you can't let the others know that you're trapped in this mirror. I need you to be cooperative."

"If you want me to cooperate, you know what it is I want," he firmly responded.

The Mayor turned her back to him as she replied, "You and I both know that the only way I can use the magic of this mirror is with your magic combined with it. Otherwise it's just another old antique. I promise you that I will set you free, Sydney. And I will, but I have to help them bring down our new enemy and right now, you might be my best chance in doing so. Please help me."

The genie laughed coldly and then answered, "If you want to find out what happened between the Snow Queen and Captain Hook, you're going to need…"

"Some of his blood?" she stated. "We've got that covered."

"Regina?" Emma suddenly called out and then entered the crypt, followed closely by her parents and Leroy, as Sydney swiftly faded from the mirror. "Were you just talking to someone?"

She shook her head as she responded, "Of course not. Just myself. It helps sometimes. I don't always like being down here by myself, a little too gothic. Don't you think?"

Mary Margaret smiled as she replied, "Perhaps a little redecorating is in order."

"Right now we have work to do," Emma answered curtly as she moved to stand in front of the mirror as Regina had and held up Killian's blood soaked shirt in her hands, which Whale had given her just before they left the hospital. "How does this thing work?"

"Just wipe a small amount of Hook's blood over the glass and then say the magic words you've seen me say in the movies," Regina spoke again. "Except, you're not asking to know if you're the fairest one of all this time. Simply state, 'Mirror mirror on the wall…' Well, the rest is up to you. Ask what you want to know, Miss. Swan. It's all yours."


	16. Chapter 16

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Sixteen

Emma looked over at Regina for a moment as she answered her question, then she lowered her eyes to what was once the black cotton shirt in her hands as she stared at the dark red stains now covering what remained of the cloth. Finally, she did as her friend told her to do, smearing Killian's blood across the glass and willed the mirror's magic to help her discover the truth she needed to know. The looking glass before the heroes came to life as it shimmered until an image of Killian appeared in place of the Savior's reflection, an image that showed him running down into an alleyway to help free Leroy from the ice that bound him against a wall behind him when the dwarf called out to him until the Snow Queen suddenly appeared before them.

"I don't remember this," Grumpy stated with confusion as he stared at the scene beginning to play out before them. "How do I not remember any of this? When the hell did this happen?"

"It had to have been yesterday afternoon seeing as Hook was acting strange when I saw him," David replied worryingly, then became silent when they watched the Snow Queen knock the cutlass from Hook's hand with a burst of magic and suddenly rushed him as she forced a kiss against his lips, draining all heat from his body until he finally fell to the ground in unconsciousness. "I have a feeling that it wasn't actually Hook I saw in the woods last night after all. But if it wasn't Hook…"

 _Emma's eyes became cold when Ingrid turned back to the dwarf again as they listened to her while she spoke up cruelly saying, "_ _I was under the impression that your pirate friend here isn't liked by too many people except maybe by those who matter most in this town. However, if you happen to be one of them who do care for him, try not to worry about him too much. He'll be alright soon enough. I only need him out cold for a little while. Tell the Savior that I'm going to prove to her this man isn't worthy of her love, as he will only break her heart. I cannot and will not allow that to happen. Emma will soon see that I'm right and she'll be grateful. Then you will all see that I'm not as much of a villain as you think I am."_

 _As the Snow Queen disappeared along with Killian within the snow that surrounded them, the images within the mirror faded, then changed to another scene when she appeared once more before Hook while she said again,_ _"Your bravery won't help you now. In fact, neither can Emma. Her test isn't to see if she can save you before I kill you, Killian. But so that she'll learn that loving you isn't worth losing the beautiful woman she's become and most importantly, not what makes her the Savior. She'll soon see that you will only destroy her if she continues to allow you into her heart and then… she will leave you if you somehow do manage to survive the day."_

 _"Only those I consider my friends call me by my real name," Hook responded angrily. "You're certainly no friend of mine, or anyone else's here in this town. It's obvious that you know Elsa quite well and it appears you may know Emma too, but if you think you'll convince her that I will do like you say I will, then you don't know her as well as you believe you do. And you don't know me very well either. I would give my life a hundred times over in order to keep Emma safe. I love her."_

 _"How very noble of you, Captain," Ingrid sneered as she glared at him. "Let's put that to the test, shall we? Just how deep is your love for Emma?"_

 _He answered, "It's certainly stronger than all the magic you possess. As I said, do to me what you will. I won't ever hurt her and you won't convince her that I would. And it will take a lot more than the kiss of death for you to kill me."_

 _She leaned in until her face was inches apart from his and lowered her voice to a whisper as she stated contemptuously, "Because you're a survivor? You're going to have to be if you want to live through what I have in store for you."_

 _"It's time to begin your first test, Captain!" the Snow Queen called out after she stepped back and then turned to walk away from him while she raised her hands again as she conjured some kind of large cat made of snow and ice, just like the giant snow monster they fought on the day the heroes first met Elsa, that suddenly formed several feet in front of them. "It'll be a test of endurance."_

 _"This is ludicrous!" Killian cried in frustration as he struggled to remain on his feet, his cold and shivering continued to grow worse while he glanced between the villainess and the beast she created once it became fully formed. "How the hell does trying to outrun and survive a snow monster of yours meant to prove anything? You have all the power here. You've even taken my cutlass from me. How am I supposed to fight against your magic?"_

 _Ingrid looked back at him as she sneered, "You still have your hook and your wit. You also have your leather duster that should continue to keep you warm enough to get you through this if you don't take too long."_

 _When she swiftly made his blade reappear on the ground at his feet as she blew away the snow that covered it, she added, "And now you have your sword back as well. First I need to see just how strong you are and if you die now, it will prove that Emma doesn't mean as much to you as you claim she does. But if you survive, we'll be able to continue."_

 _"How bloody fantastic for you," Hook retorted coldly, then started to back away as the leopard slowly began to saunter toward him until it stopped and roared at him loudly._

 _"I suggest you get moving, Captain," the evil woman continued while she watched as the pirate backed away from her. "The snow leopard is a patient creature when it stalks its prey, but if you waste too much time, she will kill you. And it will not be a quick death, or a painless one."_

 _Killian called out to her once more as he asked, "And when will I know that I've beaten your twisted game?"_

 _The Snow Queen replied snidely, "Only when you've found a way to conquer my monster, as you so eloquently call her. I do certainly wish you luck. It appears that you're going to need it."_

 _"I could easily kill you right here and now, Captain," the heroes heard the villain say when the scene changed once more. "However, doing so would defeat my purpose in choosing you to help me win Emma over. It's your task to survive my snow leopard, not me."_

 _"Then let your beast attack me already and get this bloody test of yours be over with," Hook responded while he glared back at her. "I'm more than ready."_

 _Ingrid answered, "Not yet you aren't. By the way, I thought you might like to know that Emma was terribly disappointed when you failed to show up for your date. But try not to worry, I made sure that she received your message. She didn't take it well, and neither did the Savior's father for that matter, but that's what happens to a man who pretends to be a hero."_

 _While he leaned against the tree behind him for support, he asked worryingly, "What have you done?"_

 _"I made it so that all your good work has been undone," she replied with a smile. "They all believe you failed to show last night because you got yourself drunk upon realizing that you made a mistake to give your long life as a pirate up. They already see you as the selfish man you truly are and Emma will come to hate you by the time I'm through. You should have seen her last night. She was devastated and you're responsible."_

 _"Some bloody hero I turned out to be," he whispered to himself sadly as he bowed his head, while Ingrid disappeared within the snow that suddenly surrounded her once more._

The images changed for one last time as they watched Hook fight against the snow beast when the leopard finally attacked him after it had stalked him through the night and well into the next morning. It ripped his sword from his hand when he thrust his blade into the creature while the beast clawed deep into his chest, but it was easily able to pull the weapon free. The snow leopard charged him once more when Killian swiftly thrust his hook through its chest, causing the predator to disperse into snow just as its claws became embedded into Killian's stomach and leg.

Emma couldn't watch anymore as she suddenly waved her hand over the magic mirror to shut off Hook's memories and buried her face in her hands, then the Savior said angrily, "I was right. I failed him and because of that ice witch, Killian knows it. But he didn't blame me, he blames himself. I need to get back to the clinic. She's going to try coming after him again in order to continue whatever twisted plans she has for him, but…"

Mary Margaret knew what her daughter was thinking and quickly interrupted, "Don't do that, Emma. You need to go see him. You can't let the fear that you messed up push him away just to try to protect yourself from the pain and anger you're feeling towards yourself right now."

"I'm not pushing Killian away!" the Savior retorted curtly. "But he doesn't need me there with him. At least not until I can figure out what I can possibly say to him to make this right, if I even can make this mess right."

"He's still out from being wounded and nearly frozen to death," David responded sadly. "He won't be awake for some time. You don't have to say anything to him, but surely having you close by will be of some comfort. And just in case you don't realize it, you're not the only one who messed up. I believed the Snow Queen's lies the same as you did. We all did."

Grumpy added, "I'm just surprised by the fact that Hook risked his life trying to help me. I never really did like him much. Whatever you guys need from me… to try to help him and to help defeat that ice witch that is… you've got it. I want to help him. The rest of us dwarfs will be ready too."

Mary Margaret smiled at the dwarf as she answered, "Thank you, Leroy. We'll call on you when we need you. And I have no doubt that we will."

"It's great that we've got plenty of warriors to stand against the Snow Queen, but we still don't know where she's hiding and she's only attacked us when we're alone, or too few to fight against her magic," Emma replied in frustration. "We don't even know her name."

"Hook might know more than what my mirror revealed," Regina stated after she thought for a few moments. "Perhaps we can get someone to read his mind. Someone like Blue, or Gold…"

Emma immediately responded curtly, "No. Not anyone, especially not Rumpelstiltskin. He's been hurt enough. There's no way in hell that I'll let the object of his hate and fear for centuries enter inside his head."

Regina turned back to the Savior again as she questioned bitterly, "Not even if it could actually help us to get ahead of this villain? No offense, Miss. Swan, but exactly what did seeing his memories actually teach us, other than all the ways she taunted and humiliated Captain Guyliner? My mirror can only do so much and I don't have the ability to read minds. And I'm not exactly sure how much of an ability the fairy has to do so. I don't mean to be harsh, but Hook probably does have the answers we need and as the Dark One, Gold may be the only one who can tell us what we want to know."

"That's not true," Snow answered. "We know she plans to tear us all apart so that she can get to our daughter and Elsa. We also know that she isn't through with hurting Killian, which is why we need to get back to Whale's clinic."

"Maybe this witch is looking to tear us all apart, but we don't know how else she plans to do it," the former Evil Queen replied more sternly.

The Savior glared at Regina, but she knew the dark haired woman was right and so she responded, "Then if anyone's going to enter Killian's mind it's me. I've never used my magic to do so before, so I don't know if I can. But let me try."

David looked at his daughter with pride until he turned to Regina and answered, "Emma can do this. We're going to let her help Hook how she sees fit."


	17. Chapter 17

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Seventeen

After Dr. Whale finished informing the thirteen year old and the other heroes that they could go in to see Hook, Henry quickly sent a text to his mom to let her and the others know Killian was stabilized and that they could see him when they get back, then he looked back towards Elsa and Robin while the Queen of Arendelle said quietly, "Go on ahead, Henry. We'll wait right out here for your mom and the others."

The teenager nodded, then walked away as he followed after the doctor, then when Elsa turned back to Robin, the archer looked at her and seeing the worry in her eyes and asked with concern, "I think we've done well to reassure Henry everything's going to be all right, but what about you?"

 _"I'm sorry," Elsa thought back to Ingrid saying, being unable to hold back her own worries any longer. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave."_

 _Killian turned his body to face the Snow Queen as he glared at her and asked in confusion, "What?"_

 _Elsa immediately walked between the villain and her friend as she stated firmly, "Let go of him now."_

 _"Not when you and I have so much catching up to do, my sweet Elsa," Ingrid answered as she walked around the younger woman, looking at her captive for a moment before turning back to Elsa._

 _"Catching up?" Hook replied angrily while he stared at Elsa as though she had betrayed him and their friends. "What, you know her?"_

 _Elsa looked between him and the Snow Queen in her own confusion as she responded honestly, "I've never seen her before."_

 _The Snow Queen kept her eyes on Arendelle's true Queen as she answered, "You've simply forgotten."_

 _"I wouldn't forget someone like you," Elsa quickly replied. "Like me."_

 _Ingrid began to circle around her again while she continued, "The magic of the rock trolls. They pull memories. They did quite a number on you, I'm afraid."_

 _Elsa asked again, "The rock trolls? Why would they do that to me?"_

 _"For the same reason they did it to your sister, Anna," the older woman responded callously. "Some memories are too painful."_

 _"You know Anna?" Elsa continued to question the villain standing before her. "What happened to her?"_

 _The Snow Queen moved closer to Elsa until they were inches apart as she answered angrily, "The same things that happens to every ordinary person. Eventually... they grow to fear us. You wonder... How you ended up trapped in that urn. It was your sister. Anna put you there."_

 _With disbelief, Elsa replied coldly, "You're lying."_

 _"Am I?" Ingrid said sternly. "Look at the people in this town. They're ready to burn you at the stake."_

 _"Because of what you did," the good Queen responded worryingly. "You hurt one of them."_

 _Ingrid answered, "You mean that woman... Marian. Well, that was an accident."_

 _Elsa glared at the other woman as she retorted coolly, "No, it wasn't. You wanted them to think it was me. To blame me. Why?"_

 _"I was trying to teach you a lesson," she replied with a false sense of remorse meant only for Elsa, then turned back to Hook and slowly began to walk towards him. "Eventually, everyone turns on people like us. Even friends. Even family. They're just waiting for a reason."_

"Milady," Robin spoke again more forcefully as he shook the woman still standing within the clinic beside him by her shoulders in order to regain her attention. "Elsa, what's wrong?"

When she finally snapped out of her thoughts, Elsa looked back in the archer's eyes as she responded, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blank out like that. What did you ask me?"

He asked again, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I uh… I just couldn't help, but think back to my first confrontation with the Snow Queen," Elsa whispered sadly. "She wanted to test me first and because of it, your Marian got hurt, for which I am deeply sorry for by the way. And now, she's tested Emma and Killian has been hurt as well. He was already almost killed. What could she want so badly that she's willing to hurt innocent people to get it?"

"It doesn't matter what this woman wants," Robin answered. "If there's one thing that I've learned since I've met everyone here in Storybrooke, though it was actually in the Enchanted Forest when we first met, it's that villains don't win. I've always fought against tyranny back in the land that I'm from, but my merry men and I always fought alone and at times it didn't seem as though we made much progress in defeating our enemies for good. Here we fight alongside heroes that include the Savior, Captain Hook, the former Evil Queen who is a good and an amazing woman, and now a powerful Queen with magic that can create snow and ice. We defeated a Wicked Witch from the Land of Oz I have no doubt that we will defeat this ice witch. As for Marian, I don't blame you at all for what happened to her. The Snow Queen is the only one to blame for her condition. Henry reminded me that I needed to have faith she will be alright. And I do. Marian's going to be fine, as will Killian."

Elsa smiled at him as she replied, "I truly admire your courage and faith, the same courage and faith I see in everyone here. I miss Arendelle and even more so my sister, but I'm certainly grateful that I've come here to Storybrooke."

Robin smiled and then responded, "Good. Now, let's go look in on our friend with Henry."

When the true Queen of Arendelle and the archer from the Sherwood Forest walked away to check in on Killian and Henry, Ingrid slowly stepped out from within another room nearby where she had frozen Dr. Whale and a few more of those working that evening. Like the spell that froze Leroy to the wall when she had kidnapped Captain Hook, the spell on the clinic staff was also only temporary. She didn't need a whole lot of time for what she had come to the clinic to do, only a brief distraction should the rest of the heroes return before she finished doing what she had come for.


	18. Chapter 18

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Eighteen

When Henry walked inside the room Whale led him to, he stood back near the door as he stared at his friend lying unconscious on the bed in front of him while he was hooked up to multiple machines working to help keep Hook alive. The thirteen year old knew that he was in bad shape because of the doctor's update earlier, but seeing him in this condition was worse than what Henry thought he was prepared for. The Pirate Captain was the last friend he expected to see in such a condition, as Hook had managed to survive for three hundred years in Neverland and with the exception of his missing hand, he never seemed to ever get a scratch in the many fights the heroes have all fought together. Seeing him near death was unsettling.

"I uh… wow, I'm not really sure what to say," the teenager stuttered when she slowly made his way around to the side of the bed. "Especially to someone who probably can't even hear me. I don't really know you as well as I should. I mean, I got to know you better when I didn't remember you at all. Yet since our memories from the missing year came back… I'm sorry, I'm babbling. I think what I'm trying to say is, I'm happy that you've helped to make my mom happier than I've ever seen her, but I need you to get better so that her heart doesn't get broken again. And I… I want you to get better because I care, about you. You're a good man and have been a good friend to me. We are going to make this right, I promise."

"For your sake and the Captain's, I really wish that was true, Henry," the Snow Queen responded quietly while she suddenly appeared in the doorway moments after Elsa and Robin walked in before either one of the heroes could say anything as she swiftly froze Robin's feet where he stood, then used her magic to force Henry back against the wall with a large icicle to his throat. "But I'm afraid that just isn't the case."

Elsa glared at the villain as she raised her hands and moved in between the other woman and her friend lying helpless while she cried out, "No, I won't let you hurt Hook or anyone else again. Why can't you just leave him be? Haven't you already done enough?"

Ingrid remained standing before her as she answered, "Don't worry, sweet Elsa. I haven't come here to hurt Hook or the rest of you. I simply came by to collect something I need before Emma and the rest of your new friends arrive, and to have a few more words with him."

"Because of you Killian's hooked up to machines and fighting to survive what you've already done to him," Robin replied coldly, struggling to break free. "He'll be fine, but it's not like he can have much of a conversation right now."

"He doesn't have to answer back," she responded as she reached out to pick up Killian's hook and its brace from the chair nearby where his black duster, boots, belt, and cutlass lay as well, then glanced between the others who continued to struggle against her hold on them, except for Elsa who attempted to step up to stop her until the Snow Queen blasted her backwards with a gust of wind. "I may not be able to freeze you like I can the others, Elsa, but I can keep you from trying to stop me. I've waited many years for my chance to get my own happy ending and I won't let anyone stop me ever again."

Henry spoke up again saying pleadingly, "Just leave him alone! I don't care about your plans or why you're doing this, but if you hurt him…"

The Snow Queen interrupted, "I don't plan to, at least not physically. But in order to get what I want, I need the Captain here to understand that he will only destroy Emma so long as he keeps on pursuing her. If I could believe my first test would have done anything to convince him to walk away from the Savior and Storybrooke all together, then this wouldn't be necessary. As for Emma, she needs to know that Hook isn't worth the trouble and pain he'll cause her."

"You don't know how good he's been for my mom," Henry called out angrily. "You don't know him!"

"And if I heard the things you said to him just before I walked in here correctly, neither do you, Henry," Ingrid answered cruelly. "Relax, I'll only be another minute."

Before she left the room, Ingrid bent down over Killian and whispered something into his ear, then walked away from him to head to the door until she stopped and turned around again when Elsa rushed to Hook's side as she asked worryingly, "What did you just say to him?"

The villainess replied smugly, "That's between him and me. And by the way, if when he wakes and he wishes to have this silly contraption that gave him his name back, then he and Emma will have to come for it. Until next time."

When she finally left the room again, the ice that kept both Henry and Robin captive melted away and the two of them immediately rushed out into the hallway and looked for any sign as to where the Snow Queen had disappeared to in hope that they would be able to catch her. But like they expected, she was gone.

"Hey, are you guys alright?" Emma asked when she, David, Mary Margaret, and Regina all walked into the clinic and saw her son and archer friend rushing out of the room where they suspected Hook was currently residing. "What's wrong?"

"What do you think?" Robin responded curtly after he rubbed his hand over his face in frustration. "The Snow Queen was just here."

Henry quickly added, "She broke in here and took Killian's hook and brace, but not before she whispered something into his ear. He's still out and drugged up to help him with his pain, but I'm betting whatever she said somehow has gotten through to him, or it will if… when he wakes up."

Emma clenched her jaw together and started walking toward the room until she paused out of fear to confront Killian again after everything he's been through, turned back to look between Henry and Robin, then asked worryingly, "Did she happen to say why she wanted Killian's hook, or anything that might help us figure out just what it is she's after?"

"She mostly just bragged about why she's doing this," Elsa answered as she stepped out while Emma looked over at her new friend. "She thinks she's trying to protect you and me. I'm so sorry that we couldn't stop her, Emma. She surprised us, again."

"Help!" the heroes could hear somebody suddenly cry out. "Somebody help!"

When they looked toward the door to the room where they could hear the voice crying out from, Emma questioned, "Is that Whale?"

David reluctantly replied, "I'll go help him."


	19. Chapter 19

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Nineteen

Emma opened the door to Killian's room and stepped inside, but she froze in the doorway upon seeing him lying so still while hooked up to the machines that surrounded him, with a tube running beneath his nose to help him breathe easier. His left arm was bound in a sling to help prevent him from moving his arm once he woke up so that the claw wounds in his shoulder would heal faster. Beneath the blankets that were draped over him to help warm his body, his chest, stomach, and wounded leg were wrapped in bandages. Seeing the man she had come to care about very deeply in this condition was disconcerting to say the least.

The Savior cautiously walked towards him as though she expected Hook to bolt up out of bed any moment, or for the Snow Queen to suddenly appear to attack them again. She knew it was just her fear in overdrive that made her feel so uneasy, but it didn't necessarily mean either possibility couldn't happen either.

When she finally got up the nerve to speak as she made her way around the side of his bed, Emma reached out to caress Killian's cheek gently while she whispered fearfully, "I'm so sorry, Killian. If I hadn't have believed… I wish that a simple apology was enough, but I know that it isn't. It hardly begins to make up for anything. This shouldn't have happened and I promise that I'm going to do whatever I can to…"

Emma cut herself off when she realized that she was rambling on to someone unconscious and most likely unable to even hear a word she was trying to say, then she thought for a moment before she continued quietly, "I need you to keep to your promise to me, to be a survivor. Because I can't lose you. As for whatever the Snow Queen whispered in your ear, don't you dare listen to her. She's lying, or she's wrong. If only you could find some way of letting me know that you're hearing me."

"Mom just caught us up on your plan to use your powers to try to look inside Hook's mind," Henry said as he entered the room again a few minutes behind his birth mother. "It's a good plan and maybe you can get a message to him too."

"I can't control my powers like that," she replied with disbelief. "I don't even know if I have the power to enter Hook's mind to read his thoughts, let alone to try to get a message to him. I could just make things worse for him. He doesn't need that. Not after everything I've done to hurt him."

Her son shook his head as he retorted, "You didn't do anything to him, Mom."

Both of her parents walked into the room as well and then Mary Margaret stated, "You didn't trust he would never do the things the Snow Queen made you believe he did, but it wasn't because you didn't trust Hook. It was because you didn't trust yourself. You've been worried to break into a new relationship with him because of your past experiences with… love. You've made a habit of believing that you can't have love for so long that a small part of you will look for any reason to push love away when you find it."

"You know, we really don't have time to talk about my love life again," Emma answered in frustration when she looked between them. "The only way that I'm going to feel any better about failing Hook, is to hear it from him himself. And seeing as that won't be happening any time soon, if at all… Can we just get back to business? Alright I'll do it, or I'll try to do it. For the record, I don't like this. Entering Killian's mind without permission is wrong."

"If this helps to save him, then I'm sure he'll be grateful you were willing to," David responded.

Emma pulled Killian's only hand into hers and gently laid her free hand along the side of his head as she stared sadly at his slackened face until she finally closed her eyes in order to try to concentrate, then struggled against the strain she immediately felt as she forced her way inside Killian's mind.

 _The first of Hook's memories Emma came upon was when they were trapped with her parents' past while at the royal ball as she and Killian first walked inside and Emma spoke up saying, "Mary Margaret and David are always going on about this ball and that ball… What's the big deal about these things?"_

 _She watched as her past self in this moment froze upon seeing and watching the dancers in amazement when the crowds surrounding them parted, then Hook leaned in closer to her while he whispered, "You were saying?"_

 _"What am I supposed to do?" Emma asked again as she continued to stare at them worryingly._

 _"Blend in," Killian replied as he smiled and then gently took her hand in his own before leading her onto the dance floor._

 _Emma allowed herself to be led by him, then she looked at him quizzically while she questioned, "Wait, are you saying you know how to do whatever this is?"_

 _Hook readjusted her hands, especially the one that rested over his fake hand, then he looked into her eyes and he answered, "It's called a waltz. There's only one rule… Pick a partner who knows what he's doing."_

 _"Watch the mocking," the Savior stated, having danced for some time as Killian kept his eyes on hers and smiled. "I'm actually getting the hang of this."_

 _"I'm not mocking you, Swan," he responded while the music and dance continued. "I'm just thinking about what you said in Storybrooke, about not being a princess."_

 _She looked at him with surprise as she replied, "Really? You get my first real dance and my first royal ball and all you can say is I told you so?"_

 _Killian watched as she twirled around him while he knelt on the floor, then stood again and bowed to her while he answered sincerely, "I believe what I'm trying to say, Your Highness… is that you appear to be a natural."_

As much as Emma would have loved to keep watching this memory unfold, she finally pushed it aside and struggled to break further into his head in search for something that might help them in their fight against the Snow Queen. For a second, she thought she caught hold of one until it swiftly disappeared when another memory shared between Killian and her father arose in its place.

 _"You're exited for your nuptials?" Emma heard Killian ask David while they were sitting in front of a campfire within the Enchanted Forest, and she realized this must have been one of his memories from when he attempted to rescue her from the Evil Queen's prison on the night after the ball, as he was still dressed in the clothes Rumpelstiltskin had dressed him in._

 _"I'm marrying Midas' daughter," Charming responded with disdain in his voice. "What's not to be excited about?"_

 _Hook looked over at the Prince as he thought for a moment and then replied, "I don't mean to pry, mate, but you don't exactly look like a man who's doing this by choice. Mm?"_

 _Her father sighed and shook his head slightly as he answered, "I always thought I'd marry for love. And here I am about to enter into what amounts to a… business transaction. A merger of two kingdoms."_

 _"I don't know this whole ordeal makes me wonder if there's even such a thing as true love," David continued after he inhaled deeply while Killian listened to the Prince speak._

 _"I once felt as you did, mate," Hook said with sincerity while he raised his hand from beneath is chin and attempted to reassure his friend he would soon find that kind of love without revealing anything about what he hoped would be David's future with Snow White, despite the fact that the Prince didn't even know him. "All it took was meeting the right person and everything changed."_

 _The Prince turned back to the man sitting beside him as he spoke again asking, "Princess Leia? The one we're rescuing?"_

 _Killian looked forward as he responded with truth, though apprehensively, "Aye. I'd to go to the end of the world for her… or time."_

 _"And she for you, I take it?" Charming questioned once more._

 _"I don't know," the pirate replied as he chuckled and shook his head in doubt._

 _David leaned back on the log he was sitting on, letting his legs out in front of him and then he continued, "What's the problem?"_

 _Hook answered disdainfully, "There are many complications."_

 _"Family?" Emma's father scoffed. "Because my father is making things quite difficult for me."_

 _"Aye," Killian responded subtly. "There's that. I'm not so sure her parents approve of me."_

 _The Prince thought while he tried to reassure the man beside him as well by saying truthfully, "Given the length you've gone to save her, they'd be crazy not to."_

 _Hook smiled, as Emma knew that he was remembering how difficult it's been for him to convince David in their own time that he was worthy of being with his daughter and then he stated, "I hope you remember that."_

A tear slipped down her cheek as she watched the scene play out until it ended, then she pushed her own thoughts aside once more to continue to try to find the memories she was still searching for. Sifting through Killian's memories was even more difficult than she even imagined it would be.

"Please, Killian," Emma whispered sadly as her grip on his hand tightened. "Please help me find what I need so that I can make you alright."

"I'm here, Swan," Killian said weakly.


	20. Chapter 20

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty

"Killian?" Emma uttered in surprise while she was still linked with the Pirate Captain's mind as David and Mary Margaret looked at each other with concern, then they turned to Henry who also had the same worried expression on his own face.

"Do you suppose… She must have found a way to communicate with him within his mind," the Savior's mother stated in confusion while Charming gently laid his hand on top of Emma's head to comfort her. "That's great. At least I hope it is."

Henry took a seat in the chair across from his mom as he answered, "Mom's going to be able to reassure him that the Snow Queen was wrong. They're going to be okay."

David smiled at his grandson as he responded, "I'm sure you're right. I just wish I knew what was going on with them."

Inside Killian's mind…

"You really shouldn't be here, Emma," Killian said despondently while he looked at the Savior standing before him through the darkness that surrounded them while onboard the deck of the Jolly Roger out in the wide open seas. "Don't get me wrong, it's good to see you and looking so beautiful, but…"

"As much as I would like to see you act like yourself, I know you're not and we don't have the time right now for you to pretend to be charming for my sake," Emma replied quickly before he could finish, then slowly began to approach him until he backed away from her and she stopped.

Killian looked away and turned his back to her, then he answered, "I know why you've come. But I can't help you."

Emma didn't understand and she asked with confusion, "What do you mean? Why can't you help me?"

"Just get out of my head, love," he responded quietly. "Trust me. You really don't want to be here. I know it as well as you do."

"Hey, don't shut me out," the Savior replied as she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, then turned him around to face her again while she placed her hand over his cheek to keep him looking at her. "I know I screwed up when I trusted the Snow Queen's lies."

Hook shook his head as he spoke again more coldly than he intended to saying, "You know, you lied to me the other night."

Emma stared at him as she asked, "What are you talking about? I didn't lie to you."

"Come on," he retorted in frustration. "Don't you remember, Emma? You told me that you trusted me. But it's clear that you really don't, at least not when it matters most."

"Killian, I do trust you," she answered sadly as tears threatened to fall again. "I really do."

Killian scoffed and then responded, "How can you say that? You failed to trust that I wouldn't ever do as the Snow Queen said I did as she pretended to be me while I was busy fighting for my life."

The Savior replied, "With all the things you've given up for me, I should have known you would never hurt me like she made me believe you did. I do know that, but…"

"You didn't trust me when you left me in the giants' castle even though I never gave you a reason to doubt me," the pirate continued as he cut Emma off, then stepped away from her without looking away.

"I know I didn't," she stated in frustration. "I told you I was wrong and I believed that we were past that."

Hook nodded as he answered wearily, "What about when Zelena cursed my lips? You didn't trust me then either. You actually believed that I could have worked for that wicked woman. I believe your exact words were, 'Whether she forced your hand or not, it doesn't matter. I can't trust you now. How can I?' Perhaps you need to see just what it was I was up against."

 _All of a sudden, another memory rose up around them and Emma watched as she saw Ariel walking down from the docks silently and distraught until she turned around when Hook came running down after her while he cried out, "Ariel! Wait!"_

 _"What is it?" she asked as she looked at the Pirate Captain in confusion after he slowed down once he reached her._

 _"I have a confession," Killian responded remorsefully and out of breath. "I haven't been entirely truthful with you... with myself. You and I met before. Our paths crossed during the missing year."_

 _She questioned again, "What?"_

 _Hook closed his eyes for a moment while he sighed quietly, then opened them again to look into her own like she deserved as he continued, "Eric had been kidnapped by the pirate Blackbeard. You asked me to find him."_

 _"I... I don't understand," Ariel replied sternly. "Why didn't you say anything?"_

 _"Because I was too ashamed," he confessed, speaking the whole truth whether he wanted to or not. "I sacrificed saving your prince for my ship. I am so sorry, Ariel."_

 _Emma watched in despair as the red headed woman suddenly slapped his face, causing Killian to raise his hand to his cheek against the pain while she shouted angrily. "You're a coward! And a monster! You let a man die for your ship?! What kind of person does that?"_

 _He looked at Ariel again while he answered miserably, "The kind who's empty, who believes that a ship can fill a void left by a broken heart."_

 _"And that makes it okay?!" she yelled again._

 _"No, it doesn't," Hook responded pleadingly. "I would give anything to take it back, to make things right."_

 _The mermaid retorted, "Anything?"_

 _Killian repeated himself once more, "Yes... Anything."_

 _"How am I supposed to trust a man who no longer believes in love?" Ariel asked in disbelief._

 _"I still do," he replied honestly._

 _She glared at him as she answered, "Then swear to me on it. This woman that broke your heart... Do you still love her?"_

 _Hook looked down sadly and whispered, "Yes."_

 _"Then swear to me on her name," she continued coldly._

 _"I swear on Emma Swan," Killian responded with sincerity._

 _Emma's heart broke for him as his memory continued to play out and she cried as it did so, then suddenly Ariel's countenance completely changed from being cold to cruel when she replied, "Thank you, Captain. That's exactly what I needed to hear."_

 _It was then that Ariel strangely used magic to curse Hook's lips as Emma knew Zelena had done and Hook looked at her with confusion as he questioned, "What the hell?"_

 _"Zelena?" Hook stated with surprise as the Wicked Witch's disguise as the little mermaid fell away when she turned into the green skinned villain, then swiftly pulled his cutlass from its scabbard in order to defend himself until she immediately ripped it from his hand, again with her powers. "It was you. Where's Ariel?"_

 _"Relax," the witch answered calmly. "She was never really here. After she left you on your beloved ship, she actually found where Blackbeard had been keeping her prince."_

 _As if for reassurance, Killian asked, "She found him? How do you know that?"_

 _Zelena responded, "My spies are always circling, Captain, through every realm... Always circling. She found him on Hangman's Island, which was outside the force of the curse. They've been living happily ever after ever since. Don't you just love a good twist?"_

 _"I don't understand," he replied in confusion, worried about what Zelena had just done and why. "Why would you pretend to be her?"_

 _"To corrupt your love," she answered smugly as she moved in closer to him. "As I said earlier, I've known about your dirty little secret for quite some time... Seen the guilt on your face over the decision you made that day. I knew it haunted you. And I knew I could use it."_

 _Hook kept his eyes on the evil woman in front of him as he asked again coolly, "Use it for what?"_

 _The Wicked Witch came inches to his face while she responded cruelly, "When you invoked the name of your love in a selfish plea for redemption, I was able to curse you... More specifically, your kiss. See, the next time your lips touch Emma Swan's, all of her magic will be taken. Everything that makes her special, that makes her powerful, that makes her a threat will be gone."_

 _Killian looked into her eyes as he defiantly replied, "I won't do it. I'll tell her. And she'll defeat you."_

 _"Then I'll send The Dark One to kill her before you can," Zelena answered._

 _"No... You won't...," he retorted after he thought a moment about her threat against the woman he loved and realized the witch's threat was empty. "If you could have killed her, you would have. You need her power removed. It's why you didn't kill her when she came to the town. It's why you had a monkey look after her in New York instead of killing her. For some reason... You can't."_

 _Zelena sighed and then responded, "It no longer matters, because you're going to remove her powers. I may not be able to hurt Emma, but I can hurt those around her... Her parents, her friends... Her child."_

 _Hook glared at her while he replied angrily, "Do not go near them."_

 _"Oh, yes!" she answered excitedly with a laugh. "You've become quite fond of the boy, haven't you? I will enjoy turning him into a monkey's breakfast."_

 _"I'll stop you," he responded resolutely._

 _The witch's demeanor suddenly changed once again as she replied crossly, "No, you won't. That pointy, little hook of yours can scratch a mere mortal, but me? You're out of your depth, pirate. The choice is yours. Kiss Emma and remove her powers or everyone she loves dies."_

Emma saw the wicked woman vanish in her green smoke and quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes as the memory faded, then she turned back to Killian while she whispered, "I'm so sorry. You're right. I never knew what really happened because I never gave you the chance to explain, but I should have trusted you even then. Or at least I should have trusted the real Killian. You're not really him, are you?"

"What gave me away?" the imposter asked cruelly as he walked up to her until their faces were only inches apart.

"My superpower for starters," she answered. "I can sense something isn't right here and Killian knows about my gift almost as well as I do. And second, he's never been afraid to tell me when I've made a mistake or to remind me time and time again that I need to learn to trust those around me, but he was never so cold. You're acting like the man he was when we first met, like Captain Hook."

The pirate smiled as he responded, "Very good, Savior. I wondered how long it would take for you to figure it out."

Emma glared at him as she questioned, "Figure what out? What are you? Some kind of manifestation created by the Snow Queen?"

"No, I doubt that witch has that kind of power," Hook replied. "I'm the part of Hook that is still the man he was before he grew soft. The part of him still angry at himself and you for trapping me in here before I could get my revenge on the Dark One. The cruel part of him. How is it that you can continue to treat him so poorly? One minute, you're kind and loving and the next, you're pushing Killian away. Making him feel as though everything he's done for you isn't enough. That nothing he could ever do for you will ever be enough. But what angers me the most is that Killian lets you because he's weak."

"Killian isn't weak," the Savior answered steadfastly. "He's beaten you, hasn't he? But you are right about one thing. I don't appreciate him like I should and I know it isn't fair, but I can't help putting my walls back up when I get scared and being in a relationship with him scares me. He used to be… you. What if…"

He suddenly interrupted her as he responded, "Relax. You didn't come here to have me interrogate you. You wanted to know something. You wanted to know what the Snow Queen's after?"

Emma nodded and replied, "I already know about what she did to you… to him thanks to Regina. We saw it all in her magic mirror. I know about the things she said, except for what she whispered to him while he's been unconscious just before I entered his mind. I was hoping he could give me something that could help me to save him."

"And yet I appeared instead of him so I can give you a hard time," Hook said smugly. "I always hoped for the chance. So sorry. Let me tell you this, the Snow Queen is clever and powerful, but she needs you and Elsa on her side. It's why she's doing all of this. And she has a mirror of her own to keep her eyes on you so that she can stay two steps ahead. Killian awoke somewhere within a cavern made of ice for only a few moments before being hunted by her snow beast. All he remembers is hearing a name; Ingrid. It isn't much to go on, but perhaps it's enough."

"It is," she answered with sincerity. "Answer me this, if you really hate Killian for trapping you in here, then why are you suddenly so forthcoming?"

Hook smiled coldly once more as he responded, "Because as much as I despise him for doing so, I need him awake if I have any chance of corrupting him like I did centuries ago. And Emma, one day I will succeed in doing so."

He leaned in and harshly kissed her lips until Emma swiftly pulled away from him, then replied firmly, "You're wrong. Killian is stronger than you."

"Do you really think so?" a child's voice suddenly asked with fear from behind her. "You didn't seem so sure a few minutes ago?"

Emma spun around and saw a young boy who was about the same age as Henry was when he first came to her and introduced himself as her son. And while Emma looked into the boy's wide, beautiful and yet frightened blue eyes, she immediately saw the same eyes of the man she was fighting to save, long before Captain Hook had ever been born.

"Killian," the Savior whispered with shock in her own voice.


	21. Chapter 21

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-One

Ingrid casually walked away from the clinic and through the downtown street without worry of being seen or caught because anyone who was of any threat to her were still inside with their wounded friend, while everyone else didn't have the power or courage to try to stop her. A few of the dwarfs saw the Snow Queen and attempted to apprehend her as they raised their axes they carried to defend themselves should she attack them, but she quickly froze them where they stood and continued walking out of town and back towards the woods still holding onto the pirate's hook and its brace.

When she reached the woods and slowly made her way through the trees surrounding her, it didn't take long before she was halted on her way back to her cavern as a snide voice spoke up from behind her saying, "You know, you're really creating quite the panic around this hellhole. And quite the name for yourself as well. Though you actually haven't mentioned your name to anyone other than the bloody Dark One. That's right, I know that you and he have had a few heart to hearts since you've made yourself known. The question is, what exactly is your endgame here? It isn't to kill the Savior, because you could have already done so a dozen times over."

The Snow Queen finally turned around to get a look at the woman brave enough to sneak up on her and recognized her from one of the many shops in town, then she smiled as she responded, "I've seen you around. But I've noticed you prefer to keep to yourself other than the few customers that come to you for their meat. Which begs the questions, what could you possibly want from me and what do they call you?"

"Peep," the other woman replied first. "You can call me Peep. Everyone else does, but should we become partners in order to bring down all of these so called heroes, I may even allow you to call me Bo. Back in the Enchanted Forest, I'm what they call a warlord around here and out in the real world. So I've heard anyways."

"I don't work with a partner," Ingrid answered coldly. "And I haven't come here to Storybrooke to destroy it and everyone in it. My reasons are my own. I suggest you leave before I freeze you permanently and you know that I can."

When she turned her back to her once more, Bo chuckled and then responded, "You're right. I know you can kill me if you want to, but I'm willing to bet that you won't because it appears you and I have common interests. I heard you've taken good care of that bastard pirate and now I see you've stolen his hook from him. It's just desserts if you ask me. Ever since he helped the biggest pain in my ass here rescue his daughter and that other ice witch out by relieving me of my shepherd's crook, I've wanted to see him pay. Though to be fair the Prince is really who I'm after. I don't take kindly to people crossing me. I never…"

The Snow Queen stopped the other woman then as she interrupted, "I told you to leave. Revenge isn't why motivation. I won't help you get it on the Prince or anyone else because doing so doesn't play into my plans. Good night, Bo Beep."

"Help me get my crook back from the sheriffs and get a little payback, or I will go to the Savior and tell her where your hide out is," Peep replied smugly. "That's right, I know exactly where it is because tonight isn't the first time I've followed you from town. I'm guessing you're not ready to have these heroes know where you currently reside just yet, or about that mirror of yours that allows you to spy on them. Or should I say used to allow you to spy on them."

"You've taken my mirror?" Ingrid questioned angrily.

The warlord smiled as she answered, "Technically I only borrowed it. Theft is the best way to get exactly what you want and I'm very good at it. Although it was land that I used to steal. Land from farmers and their wives, or from farm boys and their poor old mothers. Don't worry about your magic mirror, Your Majesty. I aim to give it back to you, so long as you help me with a small favor and let me in on your plans for Captain Hook. You freeze me if you wish or kill me where I stand. But if you do that, you won't ever see your possession again. My minions here have explicit instructions to destroy it should something happen to me. What do you say?"

The woman with magic glared at the shepherdess as she said coldly, "It appears I've no choice. Very well, you have a deal. I'll help you get back your crook and get your petty revenge on the Savior's father as well as Hook, but we will do it my way. Don't worry, I think you're going to be pleasantly surprised. Or at the very least, satisfied. Tell me, Peep. How do you feel about coming with me to my place to have ourselves a drink so we can discuss the details?"


	22. Chapter 22

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Two

"I heard your doubt," the young version of Killian continued fearfully while he kept his eyes on the woman still staring down at him with surprise. "In your voice a minute ago when you told Captain Hook why you were afraid to let Killian in all the way. You said a relationship with him scares you because he used to be him. A part of you believes Killian will go back to being him again, don't you?"

"No Killian, I... I don't," Emma replied nervously as she slowly knelt down in front of the boy, who swiftly backed away a few steps without turning away. "I only meant…"

Killian interrupted her saying, "I can't. I don't want to grow up to be that man. I know you can't change my past, but I've finally begun to become who Liam kept telling me I was going to be one day. I failed my brother for centuries, but you changed me."

He looked worryingly over at the angry part of Hook as he weakly pointed to him and whispered, "You have to keep me from becoming him again. Please!"

"I care about the man you are a part of very much," she responded sadly as she gently reached out to caress the boy's cheek in order to get him to focus on her again and not on the villain still standing above them smiling cruelly, unshaken in the belief that he would prevail. "I don't… I don't know if he can hear me. I hope that he can because I hope that he knows that I believe in him. That I need him. You turn into a good and brave man, who fights very hard to be the hero he had the potential to be all along. Killian just needed a little help, a reminder that he can be a part of something good. You may have become Captain Hook for some time, but you don't need to be afraid of him, Killian. He loses. And he will never return. Your brother was right about you all along."

"Maybe, but it doesn't mean I deserve to you in my life," young Killian answered regretfully as he turned his head again to look at the hook in place of the other side to Killian's left hand. "How can I, after all the things I still did? You are the Savior."

Emma followed his gaze, then back at young Killian as she asked, "Is that what she whispered to you? Did the Snow Queen taunt you about being unworthy of being with me because I'm the Savior?"

He shook his head and looked down as if in shame while he replied curtly, "It doesn't matter. I may be just a boy, but I had to grow up fast. I had to in order to be strong to fight against the darkness always inside of me. I was obviously too weak. I'm scared, Emma. And you deserve someone far better than me, or him I mean. At least someone who can hold you with two hands."

"Don't only look for the bad in you, Killian," the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming responded with sincerity as she took the child's hands in her own and looked into his eyes. "I've learned to see past the dark side of you because you're not him anymore. And I have forgiven you for any of the wrongs you've ever made against me and my family. As far as you losing your hand and having to wear a hook in place of it, it doesn't bother me. In fact, I think it makes you even more debonair."

"I don't think a few kind words alone are going to change his mind," Captain Hook said cruelly after staying silent all this time. "Words mean nothing when we all know you can't prove them to him. It's time you get out of his head and get back to the real world, Emma."

All of a sudden, she heard the sound of her father calling out her name as well as she swiftly awoke with a start to find both of her parents kneeling down in front of her and staring at her with deep concern after she collapsed back in the chair set on the floor behind her. Henry was standing across from her on the other side of Killian's bed and he also looked worried.

When their daughter still didn't speak after she awoke and struggled to regain her bearings, her mother asked nervously, "Emma, are you alright? What happened? We saw that you were crying. What's wrong?"

"Take it easy, Mary Margaret," David interrupted. "We need to give her a second to breathe."

"I'm okay," the Savior answered quietly, then stood up again as she made her way back over to Killian, taking his face in her hands while she bent down to kiss his forehead. "Killian's lost though. He's scared."

Henry looked at his mom with confusion as he questioned, "What do you mean? You actually spoke to him? Did he tell you what the Snow Queen said to him? Or something to help us fight her?"

She kept her eyes on Killian slackened face while she continued, "More or less. She's hiding out in an ice cavern, most likely in the middle of the woods somewhere and she has a magic mirror of her own similar to Regina's. It's how she's managed to stay ahead of us. Killian also mentioned a name, Ingrid. There's no one here in Storybrooke by that name, but it means something to the Snow Queen. I'm willing to bet it's hers."

"That's great," David replied. "At least we're not completely in the dark any longer. But it doesn't help us to stop her unless Hook actually mentioned where this cave of hers is. Short of searching the woods in their entirety…"

"We may not be able to find her hideout right now, but Robin and I believe we can find her using Hook's hook to track her," Regina responded as she, the archer, and Elsa all entered the room upon coming up with a plan. "It might actually be a good thing the Snow Queen stole it. The only question is, why?"

Emma turned her head to look at her friends as she answered, "I don't really care why right now. We just need to get it back and then stop her. Find her. I'll be right behind you. I just need a few more minutes here."

Suddenly, Emma heard Killian's voice again and spun around to find him awake, then rushed over and held him as tightly as she dared to while he whispered weakly, "Go, Swan. I'll be here… when you get back. Be care… careful."

"You're awake?" she exclaimed with relief, then pulled back to look at him. "I was afraid…"

"I'm a survivor," he stated, closing his eyes again because of exhaustion. "Did you already forget?"


	23. Chapter 23

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Three

When the Snow Queen and Bo Peep arrived outside of the ice cavern, Ingrid stopped and turned to the other woman as she spoke up saying, "Let me ask you something. Are you absolutely certain you want to do this? I warn you, I don't take kindly to being threatened for any reason."

Peep smiled as she answered, "I'm not afraid of you. So save your threats and let's talk. I am ready to get my personal property back. Just don't try anything, or you will never see your mirror again."

"Very well," Ingrid replied calmly and continued to walk inside, followed closely by the warlord.

However, as soon as she entered, Bo Peep stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing the Snow Queen's magic mirror still in its place, partially covered by a tarp and perfectly safe, while the two men who worked for her as her brutes laid dead upon the ground, appearing to have killed each other with their own weapons.

"What the devil is this?" Storybrooke's butcher asked angrily as she spun around and glared at the woman with magic. "Why are my men dead? What did you do to them?"

"I didn't do anything to them," the real villain responded callously while she pulled the large covering away and stood directly in front of the looking glass in order to keep Peep from being overcome by its power like her men had. "Your men killed each other. It's the power of my mirror. It forces all who look into it to see and become their worst selves should they stare into it for too long. All except for me, as I'm already my worst self. I have been for quite some time now. Your thugs broke in and attempted to steal what was mine. They got what they deserved. It's a pity they weren't faster in covering it up. They might have stood a chance. Be thankful of course that you weren't here with them."

All of a sudden, Ingrid quickly waved her hand as ice formed up to the other woman's chest, freezing her in place while Bo cried out, "What are you doing? We had a deal!"

The Snow Queen turned back to the mirror to look in on the heroes as she answered quietly, "We did have a deal. But that was when you had the advantage over me. But seeing as you tried to blackmail me without knowing for sure you actually had the upper hand, I would like to propose a new deal."

"I don't… understand," Peep curtly retorted, trying to speak through the cold. "I thought you did… didn't need a partner. Why would you want… want to work with me… now?"

"Perhaps you might be of some use to me after all," she replied, then slowly began to walk around the other woman. "I will get your crook back for you and have it delivered to you when finished. But in exchange, I need you to return the pirate's hook to him while he's still unconscious. I planned to do it myself, but something of greater importance has just come to my attention."

Ingrid picked up the piece of metal as she reached out to place her hand against the glass of her mirror, suddenly casting some kind of enchantment over it and then added, "I suggest you be careful not to get yourself caught. However, should you fail at that as well, I warn you not to tell them of the spell. If you do, I will not be so lenient the next time I see. Do you understand?"

The warlord glared at the Snow Queen as she responded, "Yes. I understand… that you can kill me with… out having to be standing in front of me. Just un… unfreeze me."

"Very good," Ingrid stated finally and handed Killian's hook over to her after she melted the ice.

"How do I know that you will keep up your end of our deal?" Bo asked while she struggled to warm herself up by wrapping her arms around herself.

The younger woman answered coolly, "I give you my word that I will return your crook to you. Whether you trust me or not is up to you."

Bo Peep sighed, then nodded and replied, "It appears I don't have much of a choice then. If I refuse, I have a feeling you'll just kill me where I'm stand… standing."

"Then we have an understanding," the Snow Queen responded. "Good luck."

"The same to you," the other woman retorted cynically. "Oh, and as for my men's bodies, it's probably best you take care of them yourself. I can't exactly drag them through the woods now, can I?"

As Bo Peep left her cavern with the pirate's hook in her hands, Ingrid smiled and then turned back to her mirror as she watched while Emma, David, and a few others make their way through the woods in search for her. She didn't need to hear their conversation as they spoke amongst themselves to know that the former Evil Queen had placed a locating spell on something else of the pirate's to lead them to his hook, and therefore to her. It was why Ingrid had quickly cast her spell, then handed it off to the warlord, knowing that she would be caught with it instead and arrested.

It didn't matter if the heroes discovered where she was hiding later on once her plan was further along, but now was too soon. Bo Peep being the first to find her turned out to become fortuitous at the right moment. She would be punished for her attempt to entrap her and Killian's hook along with the curse now on it would be returned to him. With any luck, her plan to make him give up his pursuit of Emma would succeed and Storybrooke would soon say goodbye to Captain Hook.


	24. Chapter 24

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Four

After she left the Snow Queen's ice cavern, Bo Peep trudged through what little that remained of the villainess' freezing magic that had covered a majority of the woods until she lifted her spell. To say that she was angry that the fools she hired long before she was ripped away from the Enchanted Forest into a menial life as a butcher within Storybrooke had failed her was an understatement. She was pissed and because Ingrid had turned the tables back on her only made her anger deepen. Peep didn't know what the other woman's real plans were, but the warlord was smart enough to know that simply returning the pirate's hook to him wasn't going to be such an easy feat. Nor did she realize she was about to be apprehended by the heroes she despised so much.

"Turn around and raise your hands above your head!" the Savior suddenly cried out from behind the warlord, who begrudgingly froze and did as the sheriff told her to as she slowly turned around, then tossed the hook and its brace down on the ground in front of her.

"Who the hell are you?" Emma asked with confusion on her face as she stared coldly at the woman she didn't know yet, or that she had a history with David. "And why do you have…?"

Bo finished for her curtly, "Your boyfriend's hook? That doesn't really matter now, does it? I've returned it to you. I came out here for walk and ran into that ice witch. As for who I am, ask your father. He knows me better than he'd like to."

David let go of the hammer on his service weapon and lowered it while he responded in frustration, "Everyone, meet Bo Peep. No, she may not sound threatening, but trust me. There's more to her than meets the eye. At least there was. Answer my daughter, Peep. How did you manage to steal the hook away from a woman with magic, especially without your crook to help you be the warlord you used to be?"

"This woman used to be a warlord?" Regina stated as she looked at the second sheriff with disbelief. "You've got to be joking."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Bo Beep is a villain," Emma retorted as she raised her gun higher, keeping it aimed at her while she slowly walked towards her, then bent down to pick up Killian's hook knowing that the others had the woman in their sights as well.

Peep glared at the man who bested her years before as she finally answered, "Call it luck. The Snow Queen didn't see me coming. I happened to be out here as she came strolling through and completely surprised her. And well, I may not have my weapon of choice, but I am not defenseless."

Charming scoffed, "What do you have, the same meat cleaver you tried to threaten me with when Hook and I came to you the other day?"

"That and a gun of my own," the shepherdess replied. "Check behind my back beneath my coat. Don't worry, lambkins. I'm not going to attack you again so long as the bloody Savior and Evil Queen are here. You, the midget with his pointy little ax, and the handsome archer over there are hardly a threat."

"Hey!" Leroy cried gruffly. "First of all, I'm not a midget. I'm a dwarf. And second, I can knock you out and throw you in jail without any of their help, sister. Just give me a reason."

Regina quickly added, "And I'm no longer the Evil Queen, but in your case, I might be willing to make an exception."

All of a sudden Emma shouted, "Enough! There's no time for a pissing contest right now. I got Killian's hook and its brace back. I was hoping to take down the Snow Queen, but it appears that's going to have to wait. Bo Peep is lying about something or maybe all of it, but seeing as she's not in the mood to be forthcoming, we'll talk to her later at the station. I want to get back to Hook."

"You'll try, but I won't say be saying another word," Bo said coldly as David cuffed her hands behind her back, then pushed her forward and began to walk back towards town. "Except for this… Tell me, Savior. How is your pirate holding up?"

Later back at Whale's clinic…

While the others were out trying to find the Snow Queen, Snow, Elsa, and Henry remained inside Hook's room to watch over him as he continued to sleep restlessly. When Killian began to struggle against what only he could see, Snow knew that he had fallen under the throws of a nightmare and immediately leaned forward as both Henry and Elsa stood over him, all to try to calm him. It didn't take much before one of the machines showing his vitals began to spike indicating that his fever had spiked, then Whale rushed inside and quickly injected some drug into one of the tubes running into his good arm. Whatever it was the doctor had just given him seemed to do the trick as their friend calmed down and fell back into a deep sleep, then Whale injected a second drug.

"What did you give him?" Snow asked worryingly as she glared at the man with bleached blond hair. "What just happened?"

The doctor looked over at the pirate's friends as he responded, "The drugs I've already given him wore off and his fever begun to get worse again. Hypothermia is hell to treat and on top of his injuries and whatever nightmares he's trapped in… Let's just say the drugs I gave him now should help him, but you need to keep him calm or that's going to happen again. By the way, I also need to give him another blood transfusion like I said I would need to earlier. The only problem is, I've run out of his blood type. It's not the rarest of blood types, but it's not real easy to come by either."

It was then that Emma and the others came into the room as she answered firmly, "Yeah… well luckily for you, I'm type O. You can use my blood to give Hook whatever he needs."

"You've got it," Whale replied as he moved towards the door. "I'll be right back with the proper supplies I need."

"You made it back!" Snow exclaimed happily as David moved in front of her to kiss her, then pulled away to look down at their son within his wife's arms while Emma stood over Killian and ran her fingers through his hair. "You got his hook back. Did you stop her?"

Regina responded, "We never actually saw her. Instead we ran into one of Prince Charming's old friends, who somehow managed to steal the hook from that ice witch for us."

When Mary Margaret looked quizzically at her husband, David immediately spoke up saying, "Regina means Bo Peep. How she got ahold of Hook's hook, I don't know. She refused to talk about anything important. But Robin and Grumpy are at the station placing her behind bars right now as we speak. I would have gone myself, but…"

"How is he doing?" Emma asked fearfully while she kept her eyes on Killian and took his hand in hers.

"He's holding on," Elsa answered with sincerity. "He seemed to have gotten caught up in a nightmare, but the doctor just gave him something to help him sleep more peacefully."

The Savior turned away from Hook as she replied sadly, "I just wish there was something more I can do to help him. You don't know what it's like inside his mind. He won't ever admit it to anyone, especially not to me, but he's afraid. The Snow Queen's doing this because she sees him as a threat to her plans for me and Elsa too. She won't ever stop unless we stop her."

Mary Margaret sighed and then responded, "Then we'll stop her. Hook is going to be fine just as we keep telling you."

"And we'll keep telling you for as long as we have to," David continued firmly while Emma looked down at Killian's hook still within her hand, then gently pulled up a part of the sling that his left arm was wrapped in order to attach his brace, then clicked the sharp piece of metal into place, unaware by the dark magic cast upon it by the Snow Queen. "We'll all see to it that he gets taken care of and protected this time."

"I hope so," Emma answered worryingly, then she bent over the man she loved even if she didn't already know it and kissed his lips as well as his forehead.

When Dr. Whale entered the room again while he pushed a cart in front of him containing the medical supplies he needed to perform the second transfusion, Emma took a seat in the chair which Henry had just vacated so she could do so and immediately began to roll up the sleeve over her right arm in order for him to be able to take her blood for Hook. While her parents decided to stay with their daughter, Henry and Elsa started to leave the room until the Queen from Arendelle stood still for a moment and turned back to her friends.

Snow looked at her as she asked, "Are you alright?"

"No… yes of course," Elsa responded quickly. "I mean, yes I'm fine. I just wanted to apologize again. I realize that you don't believe this is my fault and I'm grateful, but I can't help feeling like it is the same as you. After all, this woman come from Arendelle. I fear that she may be doing all of this because of something I did. Something I can't remember because of the rock trolls. She did say that some memories are too painful to remember. And from my experiences, bad memories usually come with a lot of guilt."

"Try not to blame yourself either," Charming answered assuredly. "Anna would be the first to tell you that you're wrong. But seeing as your sister can't be here to, we will. Whatever happened to Ingrid, if that's even her name like we think it is, it's no excuse for the pain she's causing all of us."

The Queen smiled as she quietly replied, "Thank you, David. Each of you. Henry and I will be back at your loft if you need us."

When Elsa was gone, Whale looked between his patient and his blood donor as he said to Emma, "I'm going to inject the needle into your arm now. It's going to pinch and you're going to feel pretty lightheaded afterward. I suggest you remain as still as possible, even after we're finished for as long as you can."

"I've given blood before," Emma retorted while she watched as the doctor did as he said he was going to do, then did the same to Killian while the procedure started, her blood flowing through the tube from her own body and into his. "Thank you, Whale. We may not say it often enough, if ever. But I am grateful for your help around here, especially for helping him."

"It's what I do," he responded quietly. "I know I'm a jerk, who no one likes. Perhaps one day we'll all be friends. Who knows?"

Inside Killian's mind…

 _Killian found himself within Neverland as a memory forced its way into his head once more when Pan suddenly appeared before him while the boy cleared his throat to get his enemy's attention from the log upon which he sat drinking rum from his flask, then started walking towards him until he stopped a few feet away and stated coldly, "You really should've taken my deal."_

 _Hook looked between his flask and Peter as he answered smugly, "It doesn't look like I need your help with Emma after all, mate."_

 _"What, you think that kiss actually meant something?" the man who appeared as a child asked with disbelief."_

 _"I do," Killian replied. "I think it means she's finally starting to see me for the man I am."_

 _Pan scoffed as he asked cruelly, "What? A one-handed pirate with a drinking problem? I'm no grown-up, but I'm pretty sure that's less than appealing."_

 _The Pirate Captain finally put his flask away while he responded in frustration, "A man of honor."_

 _"So tell me… What would 'a man of honor' like yourself do with a big, fat secret?" Peter asked again as he knelt down even closer beside him._

 _"Um… Well, that depends what the secret is," Hook retorted mockingly._

 _Killian immediately became somber as he turned his full attention on Pan while he spoke again saying smugly, "Baelfire. Neal. Whatever name he goes by these days. The guy Emma loves. Henry's father."_

 _Hook quickly stood after they boy as he asked curtly, "What of him? He's dead."_

 _"No," Peter answered as he moved away from the pirate again, but turned back to him after doing so and continued. "I'm afraid not. He's alive. And that's not even the best part. He's in Neverland."_

 _"Is he?" the man in black questioned once again to make sure it was the truth._

 _Pan smiled and replied smugly in order to taunt him, "Oh yes. Can you believe it? I'm sure Emma would love to know that Henry's father is still alive. But I'd hate for that to get in the way of budding romance. So I'll leave it up to you... to tell her or not. Let's see what kind of man you really are."_

From his memory, Killian remembered that this was when Pan left him alone once again in order to contemplate on the information the boy had just given him in hope of reminding the pirate of who he believed he really was. However this time, Pan strangely remained standing before him while the shadow of his enemy stared at him cruelly for several moments until what Killian believed was nothing more than a figment of his imagination suddenly morphed into another form he feared and hated more than anyone else including Rumpelstiltskin, the scaly green and brown skinned crocodile; Captain Hook himself.


	25. Chapter 25

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Five

Inside the sheriffs' station, Robin and Leroy stood outside of the interrogation room where they chained Bo Peep to the table. They had attempted to ask her more questions, but the warlord had fallen silent after she spoke to David and Emma in the woods. It didn't take much time for them to know that she wouldn't speak to anyone other than the two sheriffs of their town, so the men left the room and quickly sent both the Prince and their Savior a message, then waited for one of them to arrive. It wasn't long before David walked into the station, along with Regina.

The Mayor was the first to speak up as she asked, "So… did she say anything useful since we left her in you boys' hands?"

Grumpy glared at her as he replied, "Did you really expect her to? Our message told you she didn't say a word. This woman's a real piece of work. She didn't have to say anything for her to get on my nerves."

"Oh she'll talk to me," Regina stated curtly as she cracked the knuckles on her right hand and started to walk towards the room until David suddenly stopped her and stepped forward.

"No she won't, but she will talk to me," Charming answered and then walked inside, closing the door behind him while Regina, Robin, and the dwarf stood in front of the two-way mirror to listen in on whatever conversation was about to take place.

Before the interrogation continued, Robin looked over at Regina as he asked quietly, "So how are Killian and Emma doing?"

Regina sighed as she turned to him and responded, "About as well as can be expected. Emma's keeping calm, while Hook sadly took a bad turn. Whale says he's going to be okay, but his fever spiked again."

"We should have kept searching the woods tonight," the archer replied in frustration. "The Snow Queen's out there somewhere and it isn't just my wife's and Killian's lives that are on the line. All of ours are. Not to mention that she's got plans for Emma and Elsa, that if she's willing to go through these kind of lengths for, then they really can't be good. If we just banded together and have every able bodied man and woman out there searching…"

"You know that isn't possible," Regina answered as she impulsively reached out to touch his hand, but after lingering for a few seconds, he suddenly pulled away from her knowing he couldn't allow himself to do so without feeling guilt over Marian. "If everyone was busy out in the woods searching for that ice witch, then she'd be right here in town wreaking havoc on those left behind, with no one to defend them. Besides, she has a magic mirror like mine apparently, remember? She'd know what we were up to, probably before we even did. Let's just listen. I want to hear what Bo Peep here is saying."

Inside the interrogation room…

As David walked in, the prisoner glared up at him and finally spoke up saying angrily, "What the hell do you think you're doing? We both know damn well that you can't hold me in here, or keep me locked up in one of your jail cells when I haven't done anything wrong. I didn't even resist arrest."

He nodded as he sat down at the table across from her and then responded, "Maybe you didn't. But we can hold you on suspicion. When we found you tonight, you were in possession of Hook's hook. Now, we know that the Snow Queen stole it when she attacked our friends earlier, but we don't know how you ended up with it. For all we know, you were planning to keep it because we stole your crook and you were planning to do something much worse with it. Unless you care to tell us the truth about how you really got it, I'm afraid I can't let you go just yet. Help yourself out and do the right thing for once in your miserable life, Peep."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the shepherdess replied coldly while keeping her eyes on the man she hated. "I wouldn't want to help you. My reputation would be ruined and no one would ever want to work for me again if we ever get to leave this hellhole and return to our own world. As for whatever's about to happen to that bastard pirate, he deserves it and more. After all, he was the one who nicked it from my shop in the first place."

"What do you mean by that?" David asked sternly as he leaned forward and tightly grabbed hold of her wrist to show he was serious. "Do you know what the Snow Queen's plans for Hook are?"

Bo answered cruelly, "Perhaps I do, or at least part of what her plans are. And I can promise you it won't be pleasant for 'im. However, if you give me back my crook and let me go, perhaps I might be willing to give you a tiny hint. What do you say, hero?"

Charming shook his head as he stood and chuckled, then he responded, "You can forget it. If you really want those things, you'll have to earn them. I'll see you later, Peep."


	26. Chapter 26

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Six

Inside Killian's mind…

"What the devil are you?" Killian asked with confusion while he glared at his past self and greatest enemy ever since he was finally able to let go of his lust for revenge against Rumpelstiltskin thanks to the woman he was deeply in love with. "How are you here?"

"I'm here because you let me in, Killian," Hook answered as he cruelly smiled at his true self. "The Snow Queen's taunts made you begin to doubt that you've actually changed yourself for Emma's sake. And seeing as you can see and talk to me, you know that you were wrong now."

The true Pirate Captain stared at the vile man standing before him with disbelief as he responded, "No… you're not real. You're a bloody figment of my imagination. You were Pan only moments ago. You changed forms right in front of me, so all I really know right now is that you're not real."

Captain Hook chortled as he slowly stepped forwards until their faces were inches apart and then he replied, "Of course I'm not actually flesh and blood like the weakling lying unconscious upon a hospital bed, but when that vessel of ours finally wakes up after the drugs wear off, it will be me who wakes up in your place. Because I'm stronger than you are. You're not a good man, Killian. Neither one of us are and I'm bloody proud of it, but you…"

"I won't listen to this," Killian interrupted curtly as he turned his back to the other version of himself. "I'm not you. Emma saved me. She made me a better man. I'm Killian Jones again! The man I always should have been, the man my brother Liam always believed I was no matter how many times I proved him wrong."

"Before… or after he died?" Hook taunted. "Should we take a moment to find out?"

 _Another memory appeared before Killian within a dark cloud, as he saw himself standing back upon his ship wearing his old naval uniform and suddenly watched as a wrapped body was dropped into the ocean, then one of the crewmen handed the third version of himself his brother's satchel while he said with sincerity, "_ _This belongs to you now... Captain."_

 _His past self looked at the man and reached out to take the bag containing the sextant Liam had given him, then stroke the insignia on its top as he whispered sadly, "You'll never leave my side, brother."_

 _"We are sworn to serve the King and the realm," he addressed them firmly, grabbing a torch from one of the men while the entire crew became enthralled. "They sent us to retrieve an unthinkable poison, one that killed our dear Captain."_

 _"Never again shall anyone set sail to that cursed land," he shouted while he rushed to the front of the ship and stood before them beneath the pegasus sail as he raised the torch to set it on fire to destroy it, the sail becoming engulfed in flames until it quickly became nothing, but ash floating in the air around them. "And never again shall we take such orders…!"_

 _The crew began to call out their approval, "Yes! Here, here!"_

 _The younger Jones brother continued more vigorously than before shouting out, "Serving the King, fighting his wars!"_

 _"No!" the crewmen cried out again in agreement._

 _"That is the way of dishonor!" Killian shouted steadfastly and with anger. "And all you who disagree, flee now or walk the bloody plank! For those who stay will be free men, and I will be your Captain."_

 _The men immediately exclaimed, "Aye!"_

 _Killian looked up into the sky towards the tallest mast, then he turned back to those loyal to him as their new Captain and while the men continued on with their cheers he cried out cruelly, "We'll sail under the crimson flag and we'll give our enemies no quarter. We'll take what we please! And we'll live by our own rules… For that is the best form of all! Our kingdom is corrupt and immoral. They took my brother from me, and now I'm gonna take everything they've got... Starting with this ship! Bring the paint from below!"_

 _"Sir?" one of the men stated in confusion._

 _"It's time we rename this vessel," their Captain answered firmly as he pulled off his blue coat and finally tossed it overboard while the men followed suit and continued cheering. "We no longer sail as the 'Jewel of the Realm.' We now sail as the 'Jolly Roger.' And when they come for us, I want them to know exactly what we are... pirates! For at least among thieves, there is honor!"_

 _When Killian finished, the crewmen all began to cheer and chant, "Long live Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones!"_

Finally the memory faded and Captain Hook turned back to Killian as he spoke again saying smugly, "I think it's safe to say that your brother's death was the beginning of your fall into villainy and if I recall correctly, it felt pretty damn good, didn't it... Captain?"

"I just lost Liam," the good man responded fearfully, knowing that Hook was right at least about that moment centuries ago. "I was angry. I did become a pirate that day. And if you're planning to remind me that Milah's death at the Crocodile's hand and him cutting off my own hand was the moment that I accepted my new role as villain, then allow me to save you the trouble. You're right. I was you. Captain Hook. It's how you're here and how you exist, but what does that have to do with now? I'm not you any longer!"

"How did it feel when you first lost your hand, Killian?" Hook sneered cruelly. "How did it feel when you ordered your men to hold you down while your first mate at the time cauterized the stub left behind so that you wouldn't bleed to death, as you screamed in agony? It was how you felt when you saw Rumpelstiltskin crush Milah's heart while you were powerless to stop him. It was how you felt when your brother was taken from you because of your own foolish choices to believe that demon child over your own instincts. And now… It's how you're feeling inside now because you're having an identity crisis. But Killian, I'm going to prove to you that you're still me. Even if I have to inflict as much pain on you as the King of your own land, your Crocodile, Peter Pan, the Evil Queen, but even more importantly… yourself, inflicted upon you to do it. And waking up, or even your Savior won't be able to help you now. Only admitting the truth and accepting that we are the same can do that. How much more anguish are you really willing to put yourself through? Leave Emma and this bloody town. Figure out who you are without those heroes around to continue to pull you down. Don't you understand?"

Killian thought for several moments as he struggled to keep his darkness from getting him to believe Captain Hook's cruel words, then finally forced his anger down, raised his eyes to meet the other version of himself, and replied, "You're nothing more than the Snow Queen's power manifesting itself to get me to bend to her will. This is another one of her tests. But I won't give in. Do your worst."

Hook smiled and said smugly, "You're really going to regret saying that, Killian. But then, I knew you were going to be stubborn. Where would the fun be if you weren't?"


	27. Chapter 27

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Whale's clinic…

David returned after his interrogation with Bo Peep ended, as the warlord refused to share the information he was asking for when he refused to agree to her deal. When he first entered the room, he spoke to Snow and told her to head home for the night with Neal so that they could get some sleep. He also assured Henry and Elsa that it was all right for them to leave too, that he would remain to stay with his daughter and Killian in order to keep them better protected. Once they left, Charming pulled the second chair around the same side of the bed where Emma was sitting and without saying anything, he began to rub her back gently while she continued to stare at Killian's pale face as she held his hand, knowing that he would be unable to convince her to leave his side like he had the others.

Emma finally looked away from him and turned to David as she asked quietly, "How did it go? Did this woman… Bo Peep… tell you anything?"

David shook his head and sighed in frustration, then responded, "Unfortunately no. But then I didn't really expect her to cooperate. She was never the cooperating sort."

"Let me guess, she wanted to make a deal like all villains do," she replied bitterly. "Her freedom, and probably something more. And seeing as you said no, the price was too high?"

"She wanted her crook too, but I can't just give it back to her and release her without something in return," the second sheriff answered sternly. "She claimed she'd give us a hint as to what the Snow Queen's plans for Hook might be, but seeing as I don't trust her in the slightest and that we already have a fairly good idea what she might be up to, I wasn't about to take the risk."

Emma looked down at Killian again and then responded, "You did the right thing. As much as I want to know what Ingrid... whatever her name is, has planned for Killian next, we can't give another villain something for nothing. So long as we keep an eye on him at all times and protect him like you said, she can't hurt him anymore. At least I hope not."

David nodded and looked down at Hook as well while he asked, "How is he holding up?"

"Dr. Whale said that his fever spiked, which is why he had to give Killian more drugs to help him with the pain," she replied sadly, as she laid one of her hands over his forehead to feel for a fever herself, then began to run her fingers through his hair. "I had to give him some of my blood. Whale didn't seem to think as much, but Mom's confident that he's going to be fine and so do you, so I have to hope as much. But it isn't easy."

"You just have to be strong for him," her father said, then kissed the top of her head like he always did whenever he knew she needed to feel his own strength. "If you continue to do for him as I do for you, he's going to wake up again soon and he'll be just fine. You'll see."

Emma smiled at him, then to change the subject she asked, "So what exactly happened between you, Hook, and Bo Peep while I was trapped in that ice cave? You never actually told me how you got the crook, other than you took it from someone. And how do you know her anyways?"

Charming answered in frustration, "That's a long story. I knew her before I ever knew your mother, before I was a Prince, before I was even a warrior. I didn't know how to fight at all and Peep was a warlord who threatened to take mine and my mother's land from us unless we paid her a protection fee. Our crops were good for a long time, until she came along and stole nearly everything we had. It was thanks to Anna, Elsa's sister that I was finally able to stand up to her. She taught me to fight."

"And what happened the other night when you took Peep's crook from her?" she asked again. "She's angry at both you and Killian now."

"When Elsa told us that the only way to help get you out of that ice, was to help her find Anna," he continued. "Hook and me, we were both desperate to save you and it donned on me that Peep might be the only one who could help us find her because of the brand she placed on Anna with her crook. Except she wasn't going to help us willingly. So we broke into her butcher shop in town and took it from her. She tried to attack me. Hook stopped her. It's my fault she has it out for him now too, and why she's not willing to help us help him. She holds her grudges a long time."

Emma glance down at Killian as she responded, "Like every other villain and even some of us heroes. I held my own against Regina until she began to show signs she was changing. I even held a grudge against Hook for awhile. But the strange thing is, it wasn't even when he was a villain. He didn't ever hurt or offend me then, not really. It was when Killian arrived in New York and pulled me away from that life, a life without all of this madness. I was angry with him because I believed he forced me away from a good and simple life. And he knew it, but he never gave up on me. It wasn't until he fought for me in yours and Mom's past that I could forgive him, though I should never have been angry with him in the first place. It was wrong, but I didn't care. I owe Killian more than I can ever repay him and yet when I had another chance to redeem myself, I failed again. This time, he's paying for it."

David replied quizzically, "You don't have to redeem yourself? He would be the first to tell you that you owe him nothing. You're fighting for him now. The two of you are together and the happiest I've ever seen both of you, even despite my earlier reservations I held against him for so long. I held my own grudge against him and not for a reason other than the fact he's a pirate, even though I kept telling myself it was because he was Captain Hook, who vowed revenge against one man for centuries. But I misjudged him for too long. When we worked together to save you from Regi… the Evil Queen's castle, I told him we'd be crazy not to approve of him after the lengths he's been to protect and save you. Of course, I didn't realize it was him at the time, obviously."

"I know," his daughter answered as she smiled sadly at Killian. "I saw his memory of your little talk when I was in his mind. It was one of the memories that his subconscious dreamed about."

"I promise you I'm going to do whatever I have to do to help you protect and save him from the Snow Queen, Emma," Charming responded with sincerity. "It's time I finally pay him back for protecting you all this time. That I do approve of him. Just don't ever tell him I told you so."

The Savior laughed softly and reached out to take her father's hand, grasping it as a way of thanking him for his support, then she replied, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I wouldn't want it to go to his head."

He answered, "God forbid Hook should become even more bigheaded."


	28. Chapter 28

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Back inside Killian's mind…

 _All of a sudden, Hook rushed through the door into the lobby of Neal's apartment building and swiftly ambushed Emma as he knocked her to the ground, then he lunged for Gold and immediately pinned him against the elevator gate behind him. The Pirate Captain glared coldly at his enemy, then without hesitation he stabbed the Dark One in the chest with his hook._

 _The darker villain held the piece of metal that gave him his name inside Gold's chest for several seconds before pulling it out and raised it above him, about to strike again while he sneered cruelly, "Tick tock. Time's up, Crocodile. You took Milah, my love, my happiness. And for that, I now take your life."_

 _However, before Hook could stab Gold again, Emma regained her senses as she quickly got back onto her feet and grabbed the lobby's umbrella rack, then crashes it down over the back of his head to knock him out. The next thing he remembered was waking up within a tight, pitch black room he later learned was a storage room which Emma had locked him up in._

 _All of a sudden, his memory changed again and Killian watched as his darker self walked up behind both Belle and Gold while they stood at the town line, the love of his enemy still within Storybrooke and the Crocodile himself just across the line wearing the shawl that allowed him to cross without losing himself, then fired a single shot from the gun he stole from Belle earlier that day on his ship. The bullet ripped into the back of the beauty's shoulder as she collapsed against Gold, who gasped in fear and shock upon the sudden attack against his love._

 _Killian heard himself reply to Belle's declaration that she'd be there waiting for the shopkeeper's return from his journey to find his son while he said angrily, "I wouldn't count on it."_

 _"Belle?!" Rumple stated in panic as she struggled in pain within his arms. "Belle? Belle!"_

 _"Wh… Who's Belle?" she asked with confusion on her face as she stared up at the man holding her until he lowered all the way down to the ground._

 _Mr. Gold quickly looked around him as he stammered, "Oh, no. No, no, no, no…"_

 _Hook kept his weapon raised at his enemy as he responded coldly, "Oh, fear not. She'll live. She'll just have no idea who you are."_

 _"What you've done cannot be undone," Rumple answered while he kept his eyes on Belle beneath him._

 _"Well, now you finally know how it feels!" the pirate shouted as the smaller man finally turned to him. "Well, go ahead, crocodile. Do your worst!"_

 _The Dark One rose to his feet and conjured a fireball within the palm of his hand as he replied, "Oh, I intend to."_

 _He was about to throw it while Hook stood there and smiled at him cruelly in anticipation, until a car suddenly barreled down the road towards them out of control. Mr. Gold immediately stifled the flame, grabbed Belle within his arms, and rolled them both out of the way. But as it crossed the town line it suddenly crashed into Hook, knocking him up across the roof of the unknown vehicle, into the windshield that shattered as he hit, then finally onto the side of the road where he became unconscious._

 _After Emma and her parents arrived at the scene of the crash, Killian listened as Hook mocked her a bit before he laughed over what he had accomplished and then struggled to get back to his feet as Gold approached him slowly, while he asked the Savior, "Did you see his face? His one true love, gone in an instant! Just like Milah, Crocodile! When you took her from me…"_

 _"But you took her first," Gold responded cruelly as he suddenly lunged at Hook, then dug his cane into his neck, causing him to cry out until Emma shoved the man off of Hook once again lying in pain upon the ground._

 _"Gold, are you insane?!" she cried out with force._

 _As Rumpelstiltskin bent down on top of the man who just shot Belle and began to strangle him with his cane, he answered vigorously, "Yes, I am!"_

 _Both David and Emma struggled to pull the smaller man off of the pirate as the Prince called out, "You can't do that!"_

 _"I can if you let me go," Gold replied while he refused to let up._

 _"You don't want her to see that," Emma responded with more remorse within her voice as she continued to help her father pull the Dark One off of Hook._

 _The shopkeeper turned his head towards the Savior as he answered, "I'm a stranger to her."_

 _When Gold turned back to Hook beneath him, she quickly replied, "Murder is a bad first impression."_

 _"What would Belle want you to do?" David finally asked worryingly just as Killian watched himself nearly lose consciousness once more until an ambulance arrived and distracted Mr. Gold long enough for David to pull him off of Hook._

"Bloody hell, you were so close!" the shadow of Captain Hook suddenly cried out with anger as the images before him and Killian froze, and Killian turned his head toward his double while he glared coldly at his past self. "You almost had him. If you didn't freeze up while you were in New York and stabbed him over and over again like I know you wanted to, our greatest enemy would have surely died. You wouldn't have even needed to depend on the poison's effects to take over for you. He was weak and powerless. Tell me, Killian. Exactly how good did it feel for you, to thrust your hook deep into his chest? And don't lie. You can't lie to yourself."

The pirate turned hero looked away, his guilt over those events as well as all of the other terrible things he's done in his long lifetime plaguing him, and regretfully responded, "It felt good. At the time, it felt great."

Hook looked over at the image of Emma as he answered, "Yes and then you allowed a pretty blonde distraction turn you against who you are really meant to be."

"She isn't just a pretty blonde and you know that as well as I do," Killian replied curtly.

"Yes I know," the evil part of himself smugly responded. "You see her as your precious Savior. Big deal. She's everyone's Savior and she simply can't help herself, whether you deserve her help or not. And you, Killian… don't. You don't need her."

Killian shook his head and with frustration he answered, "You're not going to convince me to believe a word you say."

Hook nodded nonchalantly and then replied, "Maybe those weren't the best memories to begin with. Or least not the memories that will change your mind. Clearly you feel guilty over what we've done to Belle and though you've taken delight in remembering the Crocodile's suffering over nearly dying from dreamshade, then losing Belle for a time… You need something more, something worse, to remind you that Emma will never forgive you for everything you've ever done. And I think I know just what that is, but first you need to wake up."

"Wake up!" the apparition of his dark self shouted when all of a sudden, Killian gasped awake within a room inside Whale's clinic, then looked around in panic until Emma appeared in his line of sight as she grasped his hand tightly to assure him she was there with him.

"Killian?" Emma whispered worryingly upon seeing the panic in his eyes as he struggled to focus on her and David, who was also now standing over him. "Hey, you're going to be alright. We're right here. Can you hear me?"

He finally looked at her and quietly responded, "I hear… hear you. Where is he?"

Emma looked over at David in confusion, then turned back at Killian as she asked worryingly, "Where's who?"

"No one," he answered weakly upon realizing that Captain Hook was only a figment of his imagination taunting him in his mind, until he looked past David and saw the villain he used to be, or might still be, standing behind his friend and immediately looked away before he struggled to sit up.

"Forget I said anything, Swan," he continued as he glanced towards where he saw Hook moments ago and saw him thrust the pointed end of his hook against David's throat as if getting ready to strike. "I was disoriented, that's all. Are you...?"

She interrupted him saying, "I'm fine. We're all fine. It's you that you should be worried about. You were almost killed, again. I'm sorry, Killian. I should have…"

Trying to ignore his delusion, he cut her off in return as he retorted, "You've nothing to apologize for, love. Nothing."


	29. Chapter 29

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Twenty-Nine

It took longer than Killian would have liked for him to regain his bearings while he struggled to make himself as comfortable as he could despite his circumstances. And when he was finally sitting up more against the pillows Emma and David placed behind his back, Killian used his hook to pull away the tube running beneath his nose even though his left arm was wrapped within a sling to help protect his shoulder, then attempted to do the same to the rest of the tubes and wires attached to his good arm and chest, until Emma stopped him from doing so by grabbing his hook and gently placing her hand down over his chest.

She broke the silence that had fallen over them as she looked into his eyes and said quietly, "I know how uncomfortable these tubes are, but they're for your own good. They're meant to help you, remember?"

Killian looked away from her while he answered miserably, "Remembering isn't exactly what I'm struggling with right now, love."

"What do you mean?" Emma asked worryingly, hearing the tremors within his voice as he spoke. "Please, Killian. Tell me what's wrong. We tried to tell you when you woke up before that we saw what the Snow Queen said and did to you, except for what she whispered to you while you were still… Never mind. The point is you were so out of it, we don't think you really knew what we were saying."

"You're right," he replied weakly. "Though I don't recall that woman whispering anything. How could I, if I was asleep?"

David spoke up saying, "She probably figured it would break through into your subconscious. You're probably lucky you didn't hear her. Do you remember anything more than what we might have already learned? Does the name Ingrid mean anything to you? Could it possibly be her name?"

It was then that Hook appeared in front of Killian again as the villain sat down on the opposite side of the bed from where Emma sat while he interrupted, "That's right, Killian. Go on and tell them. Who is Ingrid? Tell them all about me and how I'm trying to prove to you just how worthless you really are without me."

"I don't… I don't know," he responded, while struggling to focus on Emma and her father, rather than the illusion continuing to torment him. "Should the name mean something?"

"We tried to find a way to help you earlier," the Savior answered nervously, knowing she wouldn't remember her being within his mind before, or that they had already tried to explain this to him before Dr. Whale had put him back to sleep when he had first awakened. "We needed to know what the Snow Queen did to you and we were afraid you wouldn't wake up soon enough. So… so, I used my magic to enter your mind. I saw…"

Killian suddenly fearfully interrupted, "You were in my mind? You saw him?"

Emma looked at him quizzically, "Who, Killian? Do you mean… the part of you who's still Captain Hook?"

"You never should have come into my head, Swan," the good pirate replied forcefully while he began to struggle with the tubes again, ripping each one of them out despite Emma's and David's protests, then moved to stand as he pushed them away. "Back off."

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked worryingly as she and her father grabbed him when he started to collapse, but he pushed away from them again and this time he remained upright. "Killian, you need to allow yourself to rest so you can heal. Talk to me. Please!"

He swiftly pulled off the sling from around his arm while Hook chortled smugly and responded, "That's right. Run away from them and don't let anyone help you. We've lived alone for three hundred years. Since when did we need anyone?"

Killian clenched his jaw and balled his hand into a fist as he glared at the dark side of himself, then he softened his eyes before turning back to Emma and answered quietly, "I'll be fine, Emma. I just need some time alone. I spent many a year caring for myself and prefer to do so now."

"But you no longer have to," Charming replied with concern. "We want to help you."

"Is that because you actually care, Dave?" Killian asked curtly, then looked back at Emma again. "Or because you both hope that I have information about that snow witch you failed to see while invading my privacy? I hate to break it to you, I don't. Believe me, if I could help you heroes, I would. Should she attack, call me on that infernal device you call… a cellular phone. I'm sorry, but don't follow me."

When he left the room despite the pain he was in, Emma and David stared after the Captain in confusion as David questioned, "What was that? How did his mood change so suddenly?"

His daughter shook her head in frustration and then responded, "I don't know, but I'm not going to let him go off on his own. He's still hurt. I can't just let him take care of himself even if he feels like he needs to."

"Emma, wait," the Prince objected as he grabbed her arm to hold her back. "Hook obviously needs space and a chance to think. He's been through an ordeal. He was right about one thing. He spent centuries having to take of himself. Even though he's been here in Storybrooke for awhile now, it's going to take a long time before he's comfortable enough to let us in fully so we can help him. Like he's always done for you."

"But he only just came to," she retorted. "He shouldn't even be awake yet. Whale told me about the drugs he gave Killian. He should have been asleep until later this afternoon at the earliest. Whatever he's hiding from us, he's terrified. I could see it in his eyes. I can't…"

Her father looked down at her as he answered assuredly, "He'll come to you when he's ready to talk. But until then, you can't force it out of him. Maybe some time alone will allow him to remember more of what happened between him and the Snow Queen."

Emma sighed in frustration and then replied, "I hope you're right."

Meanwhile…

"I have to say, that was brilliant back there," Captain Hook called out from behind Killian as he left the clinic uneasily, holding his only hand up over the wound in his shoulder in attempt to temper the pain the best he could. "I knew you had it in you. And you lied to them on top of letting our anger out."

"Get the hell out of my head," Killian responded coldly, turning his head enough to look at the specter as he continued walking. "I may have given in to you moments ago and pushed Emma and her father away, but I will tell them."

His dark side scoffed and then asked, "Tell them what? That you don't actually prefer to handle this ordeal on your own? That you remember perfectly well what the Snow Queen whispered to you while still unconscious? Or that you remember every bloody cruel word that witch taunted you with in order to bring me back to the surface? The only thing you really told the truth about was that you don't remember where the name Ingrid came from. Because I'm a part of your subconscious, I'll tell you it is her name. The Snow Queen's name."

The man struggling to remain the man he wanted to be was about to say something until Killian suddenly cried out and doubled over in agony, finally collapsing to his knees as he grabbed at his chest before looking up into Hook's eyes in fear while he asked weakly, "What the devil is… happening to me?"

"The more you begin to believe me over the Savior and the rest of these so called heroes you've come to admire, the worse off you'll become," the cruel Captain answered smugly as he knelt down before Killian. "And not just physically, but mentally as well. You'll become more irrational, quick to anger, and eventually, you'll come to despise yourself so much as you did when we were whole that you'll either leave Storybrooke in order to get away from what you know deep down you can never have and allow me to take over, or you'll realize life just isn't worth living."

"No!" Killian replied forcefully. "That's not… possible. You're not real. You can't… can't be."

Hook laughed and then asked, "How much would you wager on that?"

Killian glared at the villain in his head as he responded defiantly, "I won't… let you defeat me. And neither will Emma. We will stop you."


	30. Chapter 30

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Thirty

Days passed and Killian did his best to avoid everyone, especially Emma and Henry, while he struggled to keep his anger and pain under control so long as Hook kept appearing to torment him. And the villain he was came every time Killian believed he was strong enough to beat his inner darkness. Killian didn't have the Jolly Roger to hide on, so he kept to himself by remaining in his room at Granny's as much as was possible until it was necessary to leave. He even had spoken to Granny one night after she closed the diner and asked her to deliver whatever food she had left over from the day so he could eat what little he needed to keep his strength up. The old woman didn't approve, but she understood the pirate well enough to agree.

Emma came to check on him a few times, but he refused to let her in, let alone talk to her even through the door. The only words from him were from a few text messages, as he finally figured out how to use the program on his phone, in order to assure her that he was healing and to confirm that Ingrid was the Snow Queen's name without an explanation. He also made it very clear that he didn't want to see her right now. The more time that passed, the more worried for him she became.

"So, he's still not talking to you?" Granny stated with concern as she walked out from her kitchen when Emma came back down after being ignored by him again. "That man's about as stubborn as they come. Try not to worry so much, darlin'. He is eating a little of what I bring him up every night. Maybe not as much as he should be, but he's not starving himself."

"I don't know what to do," the Savior responded sadly as she took a seat in the booth farthest away from the stairs leading up to rooms above the diner. "How am I supposed to fix this if he won't talk to me? I don't even know what's wrong with him and it's killing me that he won't let me in, that he won't let me help him. He's never been so closed off before. And he hasn't given himself a chance to recover. He should still be in the clinic."

Belle walked out from the kitchen as well and answered, "I know what it's like to want to help someone who doesn't want to be helped, not that Killian is anything like Rumple. I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just helping Granny clean up after tonight's dinner rush, but I overheard everything from back there."

Emma shook her head as she replied, "It's all right. Actually, perhaps you can help. How did you get Gold to talk to you when he's troubled by something, or just being a stubborn ass? Sorry, I get angry when I'm stressed."

"I believe Killian's pushing you, all of us away because he's trying to protect us from something," the read headed woman responded worryingly. "Not because he doesn't want to be helped like Rumple never did until the good man I finally saw in him broke through. I realize you've been trying to figure out what the Snow Queen has done. I've been searching Rumple's books. But so far, I haven't had any luck. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," the Savior answered curtly. "Invading his mind didn't really help us much either. I doubt a few books can. I messed up. I should have waited until Kilian was awake to ask for permission to search his head, but because I didn't… Wait, that's what set him off. As soon as I mentioned I did that, it's when he started to act so cold and became afraid. There's something he saw after Ingrid's attack, something she put in his mind to make him afraid. Killian keeps mentioning something about a him and when I was inside, I saw him when he was Hook."

Belle looked at Emma with surprise as she asked, "You saw Captain Hook? You mean, the man he was when Killian was a villain?"

Emma nodded and then replied, "And a much younger version of himself as well. He was about the same age Henry was when he first knocked on my door in Boston and brought me here to Storybrooke. It's possible that the Snow Queen conjured some kind of nightmare inside his mind, or worse…"

"I'm afraid it's… much wo… worse, Swan," Killian whispered weakly when he suddenly appeared in the back entryway of the diner, using the wall beside him to keep him up until he collapsed to the floor when he couldn't stand any longer as Emma, Belle, and Granny rushed over to help him.

"Killian!" Emma cried out with fear as she did so, then pulled him as gently as she could against her and into her arms. "Oh my God! Why didn't you let us help you sooner?"

While Belle placed her hand against his forehead and felt for a fever she already knew he had while Granny spoke again saying, "He looks terrible. I should have known better than to trust he could care for himself up there. I had no idea he was this bad off."

The Savior quickly responded, "No. I should have known better."

"His fever's off the charts and he's very ill," Belle said as she stood up to get her phone from her purse lying on the diner's bar. "I'm calling for an ambulance."

"For… forgive me, Emma," Killian stuttered sadly, while he struggled to keep his eyes open and on the woman he loved. "But you're… in danger. All of you… are in… You can't list…listen to… "

Killian's eyes closed as he started to lose conscious until Emma gently pat his cheek and shook his head in order to try to keep him awake while she asked fearfully, "To who, Killian? The Snow Queen? We already know. What are you trying to tell us?"

Emma and Granny could barely hear him as he weakly answered, "No. Not… I don't know how… how much longer I… fight him. I tri… tried to… Me, I'm the dang… danger."

"Killian?" the Savior stated worryingly when he started to become incoherent as his words became jumbled until his head rolled to his side and he finally fell unconscious despite her best efforts to prevent him from doing so. "Killian! Killian, please!"

"An ambulance is on its way," Belle called out as she rushed back over to the others and knelt down beside them.

All of a sudden, Belle noticed what she quickly realized was blood dripping down from beneath the sleeve covering Killian's right arm and immediately pulled it up to find a long, deep gash running across his wrist, made obviously from his hook upon which she saw his blood stained along as well, then she immediately tore the bottom of her skirt for a makeshift bandage and crudely wrapped it around his wrist to try to stifle the blood flow, all while she cried, "God Emma, his wrist! I… I've got it."

Emma stared at his arm and wrist in shock as Granny replied, "Please don't tell me he did what I think he did."

"He could… couldn't have," the Savior responded angrily, though not at him, but at the whole situation as tears fell down her cheeks. "Killian would never try to kill himself. He's lived three hundred years alone and miserable. If he didn't give up on himself then, he wouldn't do so now. He would never just give up like this."

"Yes, but back then Killian had his revenge to focus on," Belle answered nervously as she continued to hold his wrist tightly within her hands to keep him from bleeding out. "Now he's in love with you, Emma. And his need to protect you, your family, and the rest of us from whatever brought him to this is clearly much stronger."

Emma pulled Killian in closer as her grip on his body tightened and she laid her head down against his, then with hope that he could still hear her she whispered pleadingly, "You can't leave me, Killian. You promised me you were a survivor, that you wouldn't die on me. Don't you dare break my heart. Please."

Granny looked up upon seeing the red lights shine through the windows of her diner and stood up as she replied, "Help's here. I'll let them inside."


	31. Chapter 31

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Thirty-One

Before Killian's attempt…

Without regard to his own health, Killian kept himself closed off from everyone in order to protect them from himself while Captain Hook continued to come to him in torment to convince him to leave Storybrooke so that the villain inside of him would be free. However, his resistance against Hook had made him very ill. Like Hook warned him, the more Killian struggled to ignore him, the angrier he became and it had come to the point that after days of shutting himself up in his room, it was now in shambles as he attempted to fight the apparition only inside his mind. Killian believed he was going mad and feared that if the others saw him as he was in his current condition, they'd lock him up down with the rest of the crazies locked away for the townsfolk's safety.

A part of Killian wanted to be strong enough to go for help, just so they would lock him away as he had begun to believe he deserved, but he also feared they would ignore the signs and try to help him, therefore risking their lives to try to save him and that was something Killian refused to force them into. If Hook was succeeding in one thing, it was making Killian believe that no matter what he did from here on out, he was to blame for it all.

 _Killian was lying in bed trying to fight against the fever raging throughout his body when his darkness appeared sitting at the foot of his bed with a smug smile on his face and suddenly forced another memory into his enemy's mind when Emma, Henry, David, Mary Margaret, and Regina all appeared before him, along with himself, standing within the boatshed on the day the second dark curse cast by Emma's parents was broken, as the Savior leaned forward to kiss Henry until he disappeared and reappeared within the Wicked Witch's grasp as Zelena spoke up saying, "So, sorry to interrupt. Now, who wants to say good-bye first?"_

 _Being confused from having no memory of magic being real in this town, Henry struggled to break free from the woman while everyone looked on them with fear as he cried out, "Who are you?"_

 _"You can call me Auntie Zelena," she replied as her grip on him tightened around his throat._

 _"Enough of this," Regina said firmly as she attempted to take a step towards the witch until she suddenly raising a hand Zelena magically pushed her sister backwards and to the floor unconscious._

 _Emma glared at the woman in black and green as she said more forcefully, "Let him go. He had nothing to do with this."_

 _The Wicked Witch's eyes turned to Killian as she answered cruelly, "Don't blame me. The Captain failed me."_

 _"Damn you, Zelena," Killian heard himself say with contempt towards himself while he could do nothing, but stand back and do nothing._

 _"Hook, what's she talking about?" the woman he loved asked him in confusion, her eyes glancing towards him a couple of times between keeping her gaze on Zelena and her son._

 _Zelena responded, "He knew what the price of that failure was. Your son's life."_

 _The scene before him changed to moments after their rescue of Henry and Regina's kiss to her son's forehead that broke the curse as Emma approached him before he could leave and asked curtly, "Are you gonna tell me what Zelena was talking about? She said you failed her."_

 _"Don't listen to her," he replied worryingly, knowing full well that she wasn't going to listen to him._

 _"Killian, what's going on?" she asked again more forcefully. "Were you working for her?"_

 _The pirate who had failed to protect Henry answered sadly, "The witch tried to back me into a corner. I did everything I could to resist her plans."_

 _Emma asked, "So, whose idea was it to kidnap Henry and stick him on a boat?"_

 _"It was mine," Killian responded. "I was trying to save him."_

 _"From what?" she continued her line of questioning, growing more and more frustrated by each of his vague answers. "What is she doing?"_

 _He finally admitted the truth with frustration as he replied, "She cursed me. My lips, actually."_

 _The Savior stared at him with disbelief as she stated, "Your lips? Why?"_

 _"She wants to steal your magic," Killian answered sadly. "She thought I was the best way of doing that. She knows what we all know. That you can defeat her."_

 _"It should have been my decision to protect Henry," she responded coldly while she looked at him in distrust. "Whether she forced your hand or not, it doesn't matter. I can't trust you now. How can I?"_

 _It was then that her parents joined them as David spoke up angrily saying, "She's right not to. He has lied about more than just this."_

 _Mary Margaret continued, "You said you brought Emma to Storybrooke because you received a message from us with a memory potion."_

 _"Aye, what of it?" he asked, shaking his head in confusion while he looked between them both._

 _"We didn't send you any message," the Prince replied with more force behind his accusation._

 _Killian glared between them all as he answered with anger, "Well, I got one. It's the truth. Somebody bloody well sent me the message. Who else would have an antidote? Who else would have known where to find the Savior?"_

All of a sudden, the vision of his past faded as Killian closed his eyes to avoid looking into the coldness and darkness of his own above him while he pleaded, "Stop this! Please just stop. How long must this torment continue?"

"I've already told you, Killian," Captain Hook responded smugly. "Until you give up being this false hero and let me take over this burden you've backed yourself into. You can be finally be free. Why do you continue to resist me? Is being a hero really that much more satisfying than it was when you were free to sail the high seas, taking whatever you wanted, whenever you pleased? Look at yourself! You've locked yourself in this pitiful room you now call yourself home because you gave away our ship and you're making yourself sick, all for a woman who chooses to distrust you at the drop of a hat. Because it's easier for this Savior of yours to do than it is to give her heart to you like you've pined for from the moment you met her. She will never love you, Killian! The sooner you can get that through your bloody thick head, the easier your life will become."

"Don't listen to him!" another voice cried out in fear, as Killian weakly turned his head to find a much younger shadow of himself appeared before him, the self that was about ten years of age.

Killian looked away as he smacked the back of his head against the pillow under him and cried out in frustration, "Bloody hell! Why… How are you here? You can't be here too."

The boy looked at his older self sadly and replied, "I'm here because of you, and him. Because of whatever's going on with you. You can't listen to him. You can't become him again."

"Isn't that what you want?" the man still trying to resist his demons coldly and then turned back to the ten year old. "You think seeing an innocent version of myself will really make me change my mind?"

"I'm not here to hurt you like he is," young Killian answered fearfully. "I came to try to help you. I need to remind you of the terrible things we've done so that you'll see we can't become that villain again. You have to fight him, Killian. Don't you remember how many people we've really hurt when we were him? And it was all for nothing because you've allowed Emma to help you until you learned to forget about revenge against that monster. Do you remember what we did to Baelfire?"

Killian shook his head weakly as he looked into the boy's eyes and pleaded, "No… not again. Please."

His younger self gently placed his hand against Killian's temple to force another memory into his mind while he responded sadly, "I'm sorry."

 _"Eager to go, I see," Killian heard his darker self ask Bae centuries ago while they were sailing on his ship in Neverland._

 _"Just drop me off anywhere," the boy replied coldly without looking back at him._

 _The Pirate Captain tried once more to convince him that he was making a mistake as he asked, "You really think you can survive on you own?"_

 _Baelfire answered, "I've never been given the choice."_

 _"Well, you have one now," Hook retorted sincerely as the young man finally looked at him._

 _"Anywhere will do," he responded stubbornly, then looked out over the ocean to avoid the pirate who stole his mother away from him and whom he blamed along with his father for ruining his life._

 _Hook continued, "I get you're angry. But it doesn't have to end like this. The ship can be your home, your family. Just say the word. It's not too late start over. I can change, Bae. For you."_

 _Baelfire glared at him as he replied curtly, "You say that. I know you'll never change. Because all you care about is yourself."_

 _"Thank you…" the Captain coldly answered when the boy started walking away from him. "For reminding me what I'm all about. Killing your father!"_

 _"You're not letting me go," Bae responded as the Lost Ones appeared behind him as they climbed up over the side of the ship and began to pull Baelfire into their boat below, taking him prisoner for their leader._

 _Hook asked smugly, "How would that help me?"_

 _Milah's son replied angrily, "You hated my father so much, you didn't even realize you were just like him!"_

 _"You have the boy," the pirate said to the boy in charge of the others before they all disappeared. "He will be pleased?"_

 _Felix simply looked at Captain Hook smugly and jumped off while the Lost Ones placed a bag over Baelfire and then rowed off once Pan's second in command was inside the boat as well. When the boys were gone, Killian watched as the villain he was walked over to where he etched in the symbols for port and starboard in order to teach them to Baelfire and then scratched it out with his hook in anger, feeling very much alone once again._

"Do you remember how much the pain of your betrayal hurt him?" the ten year old apparition of himself asked again when the memory faded. "The look in eyes? Do you remember how guilty you felt even though you still did nothing to right your wrong?"

Killian closed his eyes when his own pain flared hotter than it was before, causing him to gasp and then answered weakly, "More than you… you could… ever know."

 _Young Killian sighed and then did as before in order to show him a time when Killian, while still Captain Hook, had hurt the woman who meant more to him than anyone else in all the worlds he's ever travelled, as Killian found himself within a dimly lit cavern while he stood outside of the prison once belonging to Rumpelstiltskin before the Dark Curse brought Emma to Storybrooke and therefore to the Enchanted Forest as well, to him._

 _As he turned his back to her, Emma quickly called out, "Hook! Wait. Please don't do this. My son is in Storybrooke. He needs me."_

 _"Perhaps you should've considered that, before you abandoned me on that beanstalk," Hook responded coldly as he turned and started to walk toward her._

 _"You would've done the same," Emma stated quietly while she kept her eyes on him as if to get a read on him._

 _As he glared at her coldly and came right up to the bars of the cell, then pulled out a necklace, which Emma recognized from seeing it around the giant's neck, he replied, "Actually no. Do you know what this is, Emma?"_

 _The Savior tried to grab for it as she answered, "The bean that the giant kept."_

 _"Unh, unh, unh… yes, indeed," Hook responded as he immediately pulled it away from her again. "A pirate always keeps a souvenir of his conquest, but this… Well, this is much more than a mere trinket. This is a symbol. Something that was once magical, full of hope, possibility. Now look at it. Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you. The time for making deals is done, just as I'm done… With you."_

 _"Enough of this!" Killian spoke again forcefully when he broke from the memory and struggled to stand and make his way to the door. "I care not if… if Emma or her family thinks me mad. I won't endure this… torment a mo… moment longer."_

 _Captain Hook and Young Killian looked between one another as the Pirate Captain raised his hand towards Killian, just as the man trying to fight against them collapsed and began to cry out as his anguish felt as though it was crushing his heart from inside his chest, then Hook cruelly retorted, "They can't help you, Killian. Stop resisting what you have to do and give up! If you don't…"_

 _Hook stopped taunting him when Killian fought through the pain as he weakly turned back to the shadows of his past, raised his hook to his wrist and suddenly slashed it deeply into his flesh, crying out in agony as he did so, then defiantly replied, "I'd rath… rather die… then listen to you any fur… further! Get out of my head!"_

 _When the apparitions both faded after his efforts to rid himself of them, Killian struggled to rise back up to his feet again and opened his door to make his way down into the diner, hoping that someone would be there, having no idea of the time, then upon hearing Emma's voice while she spoke to whoever was with her, mentioning something about him, he finally managed to climb down the stairs and into the room, using the doorway to hold himself up for as long as he could._

 _"I'm afraid it's… much wo… worse, Swan," he answered weakly and crashed to floor as Emma immediately raced to his side to pull him against her, while Belle and Granny followed after her._

 _"Killian!" Emma responded fearfully, seeing just how bad off he was._


	32. Chapter 32

How Deep Is Your Love

Chapter Thirty-Two

"I should have forced him to talk," Emma said angrily while she paced back and forth in the waiting room of the clinic, once again waiting for Dr. Whale to come out with word on Killian's condition, having been there for a couple of hours now. "This never would have happened if I had. I just never would have thought Killian was the kind of man capable of doing something so stupid."

"That isn't fair, Emma," Mary Margaret retorted worryingly as she turned herself around to face her daughter. "You have no idea what could have possibly brought Hook to resort to doing something so drastic. Besides, you saw better than all of us just how sick he is."

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration as she answered, "Of course I did. I mean… That isn't what I meant. I know Killian would never attempt to commit suicide no matter how serious things are. Whatever's wrong with him, isn't because of anything he had a choice in. Ingrid did this to him. I just seem to figure out what that is. It's got to be staring me right in the face."

David walked in just then with Bo Peep beside him, her arms locked in cuffs behind her back, and she spoke up callously saying, "Perhaps even more than you might realize. What the hell am I doing here? I thought I made it clear that I wasn't in the mood to play friendly."

"You're here because we've decided to give you one more chance to cooperate," the second sheriff curtly responded as he pulled out a set of keys from his pocket, then reluctantly unlocked the cuffs to release her, but held onto her arm tightly to keep her from just leaving right away.

"Well, you must really be desperate," she replied smugly while looking between her old enemy and his daughter. "What's the matter? Did something tragic happen to your pirate boyfriend, sweetheart?"

Emma glared at the warlord, then suddenly grabbed Peep by the front of her coat and shoved her back hard against the wall behind her as she bellowed angrily, "I don't care what your hate towards my father is and I don't care about your past crimes, but I damn well care about right now. Hook is paying for something that the Snow Queen believes I did to her and I know that you know something about what it is she did to him. I suggest you tell me everything we want to know because if you don't, I'll see to it that you're locked up tightly in this town's psych ward with the real crazies for the rest of your miserable life. And don't try quoting the law to me. The law doesn't work the same way here in Storybrooke. If that's not enough of a threat for you, then perhaps Regina here has a few ideas in mind. Regina?"

While the Savior kept her eyes trained on Bo, the Mayor smiled and said coolly, "I think I can definitely come up with a few suitable punishments for a mediocre nuisance like Bo Beep here."

"For the last time, tell us what she did to Hook," Emma demanded again.

"You're the Savior," the villain stated curtly while she stared coldly into the blonde woman's eyes. "You won't let the former Evil Queen hurt me and if I tell you anything, I'm as good as dead. I'd say siding with the Snow Queen is the better choice. Forgive me if I decline your most intriguing offer, again."

Elsa glared at the evil woman who had a past connection to her sister as she answered with frustration, "Even though she's the one who set you up to be taken prisoner when we found you running away from her in the woods the other night?"

Peep finally managed to break free of the Savior's hold on her and straightened out her shirt and coat, then replied, "She has a bloody magic mirror, all right? She has a way to spy on us just like the rest of you witches living here. If you can ensure my survival, I'll tell you whatever the hell you want to know."

"We can hardly ensure our own survival, but if it makes you feel any better…" Regina began to answer until she paused while she raised her hand to sense for any kind of magic cast over the warlord, then continued. "…I can attempt to remove any freezing spell she might have cast on you and we might just be able to keep you protected. By the way, you're all clear. It appears her threats were nothing, but empty words meant to scare you into keeping silent. So spill it, Little Bo Peep. What do you know?"

"I don't know what the ice witch did to your pirate, but I can tell you that she somehow enchanted his hook using magic from her bloody mirror," the shepherdess responded and then laughed. "It appears the moment you put that pointed piece of metal back in its place, it was the moment the troubles that brought him here for a second time began."

Emma struggled to process the warlord's information while she spoke her thoughts out loud saying, "That's why we found you in the woods with it in your hands, after the Snow Queen set you up to take the fall for her and to deliver her curse, knowing that we wouldn't think to inspect Killian's hook with all the chaos going on."

Bo shrugged carelessly and replied, "Right. So what?"

"I'm going to find Whale to…" Emma started to answer as she turned towards the room where she knew he was still working to save Killian until the doctor surprised her when he came out to find her.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to come talk to you, Miss. Swan," he responded calmly as he pulled out Killian's hook and brace from the pocket inside the white coat he was wearing and handed them to her for safekeeping, the hook still being stained with Killian's blood. "But it took me longer to stabilize Hook this time around."

Before Whale could continue, Emma stopped him for a moment as she turned to her parents and said coldly, "I don't want Peep here for this. Just let her go. She did her part."

The cruel woman glared at the Savior, then turned to David when he let go of her arm and asked, "And what about my crook? You still have what belongs to me."

"You'll only get your crook back when we know that you're not going to be of any threat to the rest of us any longer," David replied with frustration. "If you ask me, you got off pretty darn lucky. Get out of here. Regina will go with you back to your shop in order to put the protection spell in place if you…"

"Don't bother," Peep interrupted. "I just want to go home where I won't have to look at any of you heroes a moment longer. Thanks."

When she was gone, Emma looked back down at Killian's hook again, then up at the doctor and stated, "Please continue. How is he?"

He looked down at the blood on the metal as well while he answered, "Well, he's… I won't lie to you. He's in a bad way and I don't just mean because of what he did, to his wrist I mean. He's very ill. He should have never left here, which I know you know that and I'm not saying this to bring up your mistakes. I'm just, I'm just trying to tell you the truth. I've made him as comfortable as I can. Right now he's awake despite his condition, but he isn't talking. At least not to me he isn't. Hopefully you can convince him too. However, I suggest putting him into an induced coma while he recovers if just to actually keep him here in the clinic, so that he can't do any more harm to himself. And because he doesn't have any family, I guess that means the decision is yours, Miss. Swan."

"No," she immediately retorted. "No, I can't make that kind of decision for him. I already tried to help him by invading his mind. I don't want to make another mistake. I'll talk to him and he'll stay here until he's well again. Besides, Killian didn't do this because he was just depressed or angry. A curse forced him to this. Once we figure out how to break it, it hasn't broken already now that his hook is no longer attached to his wrist… I'll talk to him. Thank you, Whale. If you'll excuse me."

"Emma and Hook are both going to be alright," Elsa spoke again quietly, turning to Mary Margaret and David as they watched their daughter walk away. "They have each other for support and everyone here."

Snow smiled at their new friend and squeezed her hand while she responded, "You're right. Everything's going to be just fine."

A short time later…

Bo Peep finally returned to her shop after being released and when she walked into the back room, she found her crook leaning up against one of the walls with a note attached to it that read, " _I stole this back for you while each of the heroes were too distracted. I told you I would keep up my end of our deal even if you did tell. Don't worry, I knew you would eventually and in truth it works out better that way for what's coming. Plans change. Thanks for your help._ "

The warlord smiled smugly as she picked up her crook and said to herself, "She was certainly right about one thing. Plans change. I'll just have to find another way to make farm boy pay."

Meanwhile…

Emma nervously walked took a seat in the chair beside Killian's hospital bed while she kept her eyes on his slackened face. His head was slumped to its side and his dark eyes were closed while he rested, but upon seeing him shift his body sensing her presence, she knew he wasn't asleep even if he didn't acknowledge her. Before she spoke or touched him, Emma used the magic inside of her to sense for any residual dark magic that might have transferred into him from his hook, then did the same with his hook and ripped out the darkness that haunted him.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered in remorse while she gently laid her hand on his face and caressed his cheek, feeling the heat from his fever still coursing through him. "I never meant to hurt you. I told you that I trusted you and then I didn't the very next night…"

"Plea… please stop," Killian replied weakly without looking at her, as a tear slipped out from the corner of his eye. "You've done no… nothing wrong, love. I should have talked… talked to you. Instead I… let this happen. I was weak."

Emma's heart broke upon hearing him sound so broken and then leaned down to kiss him tenderly before she answered, "You're not weak, Killian. You didn't do any of this, at least not without influence because you had no control. The Snow Queen cast some kind of curse or spell over your hook. So when I attached it back to your arm, I think it made you see the worst in yourself. And on top of her lies and taunts, I can only imagine how much pain she put you through."

He finally opened his eyes to look into hers while he stated in confusion, "I don't understand?"

"When you were in the hospital and asleep before, Ingrid broke in here and stole your hook," she continued. "As for what drove you to hurting yourself…"

"I wasn't… I didn't slash my wrist… to die," Killian responded sadly. "I needed to… rid myself of the demons… the demons in my head. It was the only way… I could stop them."

He looked away as if in shame of his actions until Emma took his face in her hands again to try to get him to keep looking at her, then she asked, "Do you mean delusions of the man you used to be? Of Captain Hook?"

Killian closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again as he replied, "Aye. And the boy I was… long ago. Before… before I was that monster. Their apparitions forced memories into my head. Reminded me of my many, many misdeeds to… torment me. They wanted me to leave Storybrooke. Or at least the villain I am did. The boy, I'm not so sure. The Snow Queen believes I will only destroy you, Emma. I didn't believe her at first, but…"

"Hey!" she immediately cut him off. "She's wrong. I'm stronger now than I used to be and that has a lot to do with you being here in my life."

"I'm no good for you," he answered with despair as he attempted to reach out to touch her face until he stopped himself, though not because of his hand and wrist being wrapped in bandages, but because he suddenly became afraid to touch her. "They were right, Ingrid and… myself."

The Savior laid her forehead against his as she whispered, "No they weren't. Listen to me. Please believe me. You are not Captain Hook, except in the best sense. Being a pirate isn't bad because it's who you are and you've proven you will always be here for me pretty much ever since we've met, even when I refused to accept it. That isn't something the villain you used to be would do if you were still that man. I want to be with you and I need you here in my life. I made a mistake to believe that you could hurt me like Ingrid made me think you did. I didn't trust my instincts because a part of me was afraid to finally be happy. Because in the moment you didn't show up for our date, I was reminded that maybe I didn't deserve to be happy."

He smiled at her sadly as he responded, "You do. You do so much… for everyone else with… without a thought for yourself. I want… to be a man deserving of your love whenever you're ready to accept me. However…"

"However nothing," Emma interrupted again. "I accept who you are and I want to go on that first date with you, Hook. Because I care about you too."

"You're an amazing woman," Killian replied as he moved to take her hand in his despite the doubt still in the back of his mind. "Perhaps… if Ingrid was right about anything, it was definitely that. Thank you, Emma."

Nearly two weeks passed and the day of the second attempt at their first date finally came around again and Killian walked into Gold's shop to make a deal for his left hand stolen from him centuries ago foolishly believing that it would make him feel better about himself, still being unable to shake off some of the Snow Queen's words spoken to him and especially not his own during his torment.

When he walked out of the pawnshop, Killian entered another shop and bought himself a new wardrobe as he planned to do before, then walked down to the beach to spend some time on his own before he went to pick Emma up, needing time alone to make sure that going forward with a relationship with the woman he was already madly in love with was truly the right decision for her and her family no matter how much he wanted it for himself.

However, the Snow Queen suddenly appeared behind him as she spoke up saying, "I thought I might find you here, Captain. And with two hands instead of one. Isn't that something."

Hook turned around to face her, but didn't make a move to draw his sword, knowing it wouldn't do him any good if she attacked him and then answered, "I had a feeling you would return at some point to continue to convince me I'm making a mistake for staying here in Storybrooke, with Emma."

"Actually, it seems you were right after all," Ingrid responded coolly. "About beating my attempts to convince you of just how weak you are. I failed. And now I understand why."

"Because of the words you whispered into my ear while I was in the clinic?" Killian asked as he turned away from her to stare out at the ocean. "I may have pretended not to remember them for Emma's sake, but I do. I just don't care or believe you. If I can survive all of your tests of torment, then I can survive some false premonition from your magic mirror saying my death won't be at your hand and that I'll be the only one to blame for it happening. I won't allow you to get into my head again. And I won't leave Emma. I will protect her from you."

Ingrid smiled cruelly and then replied, "Emma doesn't need protection from me. And it appears I was wrong to think she needs protection from you as well. Your number's up, Killian. I suggest you say your goodbyes while you have the time. You don't have much. Oh, and take care of that heart of yours."

Killian watched her walk away as he clenched his jaw and turned back to the waters before him in attempt to get the Snow Queen out of his head, then finally left to purchase a single rose before picking Emma up for their date at a restaurant he found that wasn't Granny's. When she opened the door after he knocked, he suddenly became speechless, having never seen her looking as beautiful as she stood before him now. And in that moment, all of his troubles were forgotten.

The End


End file.
